‘Don’t free Palestinian prisoners without Pollard’

More than half of Israeli Jews — 52.4 percent — believe that Israel should condition the release of Palestinian prisoners on the U.S. freeing imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, according to a new Israel Hayom poll.

In the same poll, an overwhelming 79% of respondents said Israel should not go ahead with the third stage of the Palestinian prisoner release next week due to the recent spate of Palestinian terror attacks.

An even higher 85.8% of respondents said that the current negotiations with the Palestinians would not lead to a peace agreement.

Some 54% of respondents fear a third intifada breaking out in light of the recent increase in Palestinian violence.

Following the recent revelations of past American eavesdropping on Israeli officials, 63.4% of respondents said such conduct by the U.S. was unacceptable.

On the question of who is most fit to be prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu received more than three times the support than the closest alternative. Netanyahu came in first at 35.1%, followed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (9.3%), Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (6.5%), Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett (6.2%), Labor MK Shelly Yachimovich (5.5%) and Finance Minister Yair Lapid (5.2%).

The poll was conducted by the New Wave Research Institute on Wednesday, Dec. 25, from a random sample of 500 people representing the Hebrew-speaking Jewish population aged 18 and above. The poll has a 4.4% margin of error.

Meanwhile, following the High Court of Justice’s rejection on Thursday of a petition filed by terror victims against the third stage of the Palestinian prisoner release, set to take place next week, the special ministerial committee tasked with choosing the 26 prisoners to be freed is expected to meet in the coming days.

A senior government official said on Thursday that the committee „will meet after looking into different topics that require examination,” and is expected to meet in the next few days, so that the prisoner release can take place next week.

In addition to the release, the government is preparing to advance new construction across the Green Line. According to a government official, the planned construction will be in „Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, with a similar scope to what was announced after the previous two stages of the prisoner release.” This would mean the approval of around 1,000 residential units.

„The steps of the Israeli government are unacceptable,” Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said of the construction plans. „The diplomatic process is in danger.”

Despite what appears to be a losing battle, the struggle against the prisoner release in Israel is ongoing. Ortal Tamam, niece of Moshe Tamam, a soldier who was kidnapped and murdered by Israeli Arabs in 1984, is continuing her protest outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem. Dozens of bereaved families and members of the My Israel movement held a protest titled „Ministers of the Israeli Government — Shame On You” outside the Kirya, the Israel Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv on Thursday. Five members of the Schijveschuurder family, whose parents and three siblings were murdered in the 2001 Sbarro suicide bombing in Jerusalem, were met with disappointment again when the High Court decided not to interfere with the prisoner release decision.

MK Miri Regev (Likud) is preparing to propose a private bill next week for the Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley. A senior Likud official said Thursday evening that „Regev is initiating this bill to win newspaper headlines. She knows very well that there is no chance the bill will pass in the Knesset.”

Netanyahu on Thursday addressed security arrangements within the framework of peace negotiations, saying „In any peace deal, if achieved, Israel must continue to defend itself on its own.”

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday denied reports of the existence of covert communications channel between himself and Netanyahu. Abbas made the denial during a meeting in Ramallah with members of the Institute for National Security Studies, including Brig. Gen. (res.) Udi Dekel and attorney Gilad Saar.