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Two years on, soldiers to return home By Barak Ravid and Amos Harel The cabinet voted overwhelmingly yesterday to approve the prisoner swap with Hezbollah, even though defense officials termed Hezbollah's report on Ron Arad's fate, which was part of the deal, unacceptable. Mossad director Meir Dagan, who briefed the missing air force navigator's family on the report on Monday, told them it was tendentious and replete with contradictions that make it impossible to know for sure what happened to Arad. He repeated these criticisms to the cabinet yesterday. Advertisement Nevertheless, after discussing the report, the ministers voted 22-3 to approve the swap, which is to take place this morning at Rosh Hanikra, on the Israeli-Lebanese border. The only votes against came from Roni Bar-On, Daniel Friedmann and Ze'ev Boim. Israel is to receive kidnapped soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. In exchange, it will hand over Samir Kuntar, who was convicted of killing four Israelis in a 1979 raid on Nahariya, along with four Hezbollah fighters captured during the Second Lebanon War and the bodies of 199 Lebanese and Palestinians killed in battle with the Israel Defense Forces. Security officials told the cabinet that contrary to reports in Lebanese newspapers, Goldwasser and Regev are very likely dead. Dagan told the cabinet that the Arad report claimed that "either Arad was kidnapped or he escaped, and subsequently disappeared," and that Hezbollah had nothing to do with the disappearance. Terming the report "a joke," he added that it contained very little new information and that the credibility of its sources could not be gauged. The Mossad chief said it included no testimony from individuals who should know something about Arad. "There is no scientific or intelligence proof of his fate," Dagan said. "We recommend rejecting [the report] and pressuring Hezbollah to provide more information." Ilan Biran, whom Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appointed to oversee the search for Arad, said the report was "nothing more than a Hezbollah cover-up" and urged its rejection. Ofer Dekel, whom Olmert appointed to oversee negotiations for the kidnapped soldiers, agreed with this assessment, but said it was expected. The head of the Defense Ministry's political-security department, Amos Gilad, called the report "an exhibition of trickery." Responding to these criticisms, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said: "Those who oppose the deal are telling soldiers that the government will not make an effort to bring them home." Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said that while the report was insufficient, the deal should not be annulled; instead, more information should be demanded of Hezbollah. The cabinet therefore approved the swap, but rejected the report, saying it did not meet the terms of Israel's agreement with Hezbollah. A senior government official said that Israel will tell German mediator Gerhard Konrad that "as far as Israel is concerned, the Ron Arad file is still open." German security officials said yesterday that Konrad was expected to receive additional clarifications on Arad, and that he, too, was dissatisfied with the Hezbollah report. The sources added that Israel had promised Konrad and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to release "a few dozen" Palestinian prisoners as another stage in the deal. This would be defined as a gesture to the UN. Olmert told the cabinet that the expected celebrations in Beirut following the return of the Lebanese prisoners may raise questions about the deal. However, he said, "Israel's cabinet made a decision at the last cabinet meeting, and we must continue the process - without abandoning our obligation to find information on Ron Arad's fate." Olmert also said there was a need to set norms for dealing with abductions, "without their becoming public knowledge, and every terror group trying to prove that we do not uphold them." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Hezbollah abduction How the Lebanese militia captured two IDF reservists in 2006, illustrated in pictures. Kuntar's crimes Israeli YouTube video details the 1979 terror attack perpetrated by Samir Kuntar.

Read & React PRISONER SWAP: Bodies of Goldwasser and Regev identified; funerals Thursday Responses: 359 'We want to remember our son as he was, not as a body' Responses: 103 Bradley Burston: The pleasure Hezbollah takes in torture Responses: 174 The new 'Obama advisor' problem: Senator Chuck Hagel Responses: 62 More Headlines 23:36 'We cut out newspapers to show you when you returned' 23:45 Regev and Goldwasser to receive military funerals Thursday 00:06 VIDEO: Israel posts clip on YouTube describing Kuntar's 1979 attack 23:06 Veteran Mideast journalist Eric Silver dies aged 73 02:39 Talansky cross-examination over 'cash envelopes' to begin Thursday 01:30 Israel concerned by U.S. plans to meet with Iranian envoy 15:14 Turkish FM: Israel, Syria show will for peace, to hold 4th round of indirect talks 18:27 Abbas congratulates Kuntar's family for killer's release 02:17 Former MI head under investigation for disclosing state secrets 02:56 Outside the Regev home, family and neighbors share the sorrow 00:09 The new 'Obama advisor' problem: Senator Chuck Hagel Previous Editions Select Day 16 jul 15 jul 14 jul 13 jul 11 jul 10 jul 09 jul 08 jul 07 jul 06 jul 04 jul 03 jul

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