Report: In bid to save peace talks, US may free Pollard

U.S. government officials are extremely concerned that the current Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations will soon collapse and are trying to find a way to break the deadlock, Israel Radio reported on Sunday.

According to the report, Western diplomatic officials have said that the U.S. is working to find a proposal that would enable Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convince his cabinet to agree to the release of imprisoned Israeli Arab terrorists.

U.S. officials are reportedly not ruling out a proposal raised by Netanyahu, under which Israel would agree to accept U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s framework peace proposal and free Israeli Arab terrorists from jail in exchange for the U.S. releasing imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard. The officials said it was unknown whether U.S. President Barack Obama would agree to this proposal.

Pollard, now 59, was arrested in Washington in November 1985. He was later convicted of spying for Israel and sentenced to life in prison.

According to the Israel Radio report, Israeli officials have said that the peace talks are in real danger, and they may collapse if no deal is reached regarding the fourth wave of the prisoner release, which is supposed to take place at the end of March. The Israeli officials cited in the report said that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has hardened his stance on the prisoner release issue. They also said that it may be possible to find a creative solution on the matter of recognition of Israel as a Jewish state that would be acceptable to the Palestinians.

Abbas met Saturday with members of the Fatah Executive Committee.

Palestinian sources said that Palestinian officials decided that they would not relent on their demands, including establishing the capital of a future Palestinian state in east Jerusalem.

In response, Deputy Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) said „the Palestinians are serial peace rejectionists. They are not interested in true peace — only in Israeli concessions.”

Commenting on the fourth wave of the prisoner release, Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz (Hatnuah) said over the weekend that „if the prime minister presents the issue to a vote, I won’t be the one to throw a wrench in the peace process’ wheels.”

Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Yair Shamir (Yisrael Beytenu) said that with one month left to the original time frame the U.S. has allotted to the current peace talks, „I wholeheartedly support the prime minister and the government’s policies. Nevertheless, some issues, like Jerusalem, are embedded in our national DNA and we will never compromise on them.”