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Last update - 14:39 29/07/2008
Source: Olmert ready to relax criteria for prisoners in Shalit swap
By Barak Ravid, Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Olmert, prisoner exchange 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is willing to further relax the criteria for the release of Palestinian prisoners in efforts to include more names in the list Israel plans to free in a swap deal for captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, a senior source in Jerusalem said Monday.

The source said that Israel has some room for flexibility on the list of hundreds of prisoners Hamas is demanding in exchange for Shalit, but that any compromise by Israel must be met with a compromise by Hamas.

Shalit was captured by Gaza militants in a cross border raid in June 2006. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a prisoner exchange deal were suspended three weeks ago, but were expected to resume on Tuesday.
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Last week, the prime minister met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on the issue of securing Shalit's freedom. Following the meeting, Olmert told Vice Premier Haim Ramon that he wanted to establish a committee that would reexamine Israel's criteria for the release of Palestinian prisoners with "blood on their hands."

During the previous round of swap talks, the criteria were relaxed in order to approve 70 names out of the 450 prisoners Hamas had demanded. However, the source said, Olmert believes that excluding the "heavy" prisoners, which include mainly Hamas operatives who masterminded suicide terror attacks, there are still many names on the list that can be approved if the criteria are relaxed a little further.

Olmert stressed that the relaxed criteria would apply only to the Shalit deal and would not set a precedent, the source added.

Meanwhile Monday, security officials told Haaretz that talks over the exchange have been hampered by the instability of Israel's government during the corruption investigations against Olmert.

Police investigations of Olmert have weakened his political authority. Accused of accepting cash-stuffed envelopes from a U.S. fund-raiser and making duplicate claims for travel expenses, Olmert denies wrongdoing but says he will resign if indicted.

Under such circumstances, security officials said, agreeing on a complicated deal with Hamas would be difficult.

Sources cite the difficulty in which the government approved a much simpler swap with Hezbollah earlier this month in which the bodies of two abducted IDF soldiers were traded for terrorist Samir Kuntar and four Hezbollah militants.

Another reason for the delay in talks over Shalit's release has been Hamas' claim that Israel has violated the cease-fire that went into effect a few weeks ago. The Islamic group was expected to send a delegation to renew the indirect talks in Cairo a number of times but canceled their departure, claiming that Israel cut off the transfer of goods into the Gaza Strip or violated other terms of the cease-fire.

Another security official said Israel was not sure whether the Hamas delegation would change its stance after arriving in Cairo Tuesday morning. "Israel is still waiting for Hamas to agree to open negotiations with Israel through Egypt," he said. The Palestinian team will probably include senior Hamas members Musa Abu-Marzuk, Siad Siam and Mahmoud Zahar. Israel will be represented by its official charged with negotiating the release of Shalit, Ofer Dekel.

Jerusalem sources said Monday that Egypt's influence over Hamas, which forcibly took over the Gaza Strip from Fatah last year, has grown, but that the government's weakness has prevented Israel from allowing Cairo to advance talks. They said that Hamas is well aware of the government's instability and is wary about making advances in talks in the near future.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni stepped up a campaign to oust Olmert, charging Monday that their centrist Kadima party had lost its way under his leadership.

"The sense of hope that had been a part of the establishment of Kadima has been lost along the way," Livni said, according to a transcript of her remarks released by a spokesman.

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      1.   Cringe anbd grovel,beg and whin Israel,retreat and and bow,that`s 10:53  |  Absolute Sweden 29/07/08
      2.   IN ORDER TO FACILITATE 11:00  |  Robert 29/07/08
      3.   to # 1 - Absolute Sweden 12:02  |  Robert 29/07/08
      4.   Cutie Robert,better look at your "negotiation partners" 12:17  |  Absolute Sweden 29/07/08
      5.   180 Israelis have been murdered 12:18  |  fred 29/07/08
      6.   And what if Shalit is already dead? 12:42  |  Hastaroth 29/07/08
      7.   Is `Dimensure` setting in now with Olmert....? 13:13  |  Dagma 29/07/08
      8.   HISTORY BOOKS WILL CALL KADIMA `ACHORA` 13:22  |  Freethinker 29/07/08
      9.   Mazuz needs to issue indictments now - we see a drowning man! 13:25  |  redmike 29/07/08
      10.   Olmert 13:29  |  Ralph 29/07/08
      11.   ol merde is beyond redemption !! 13:50  |  victor hardman 29/07/08
      12.   Kind of Olmert to "relax" these criteria 13:52  |  Clickfool 29/07/08
      13.   Just consequent! 13:54  |  Sens 29/07/08
      14.   It stakes a criminal to lead a criminal state 13:56  |  Natallie Durson 29/07/08
      15.   DON`T GO TOO FAR FROM THE PHONE HAMAS 14:37  |  indrajaya 29/07/08
      16.   WHO KNOWS... with Olmert No-one knows..... 14:45  |  Dolly 29/07/08
      17.   Urgent offer for exchanging Slowman 14:54  |  Tosefta 29/07/08
      18.   LİFE HAS ALL THINGS TO LIVE GREAT POEMS ! 15:09  |  atilla karagözoğlu 29/07/08
      19.   I BELIEVE, WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER AS PEOPLE ALL OVER WORLD. 15:12  |  ... 29/07/08
      20.   how far can you learn ? or teach ..or advice ... 15:14  |  atilla karagözoğlu 29/07/08
      21.   Just Release Everybody ... 15:17  |  Bernie 29/07/08
      22.   "It won`t set a precedent" 15:21  |  judith 29/07/08
      23.   DON`T allow another last oldemerde disaster? 15:21  |  dav zee 29/07/08
      24.   BERNIE after what Hesballa did? You can only fool people so often 15:27  |  PETER SM 29/07/08
      25.   once upon time ! THERE WAS A GREAT KING ... 15:28  |  ... 29/07/08
      26.   " WE MUST NEVER SAY ; IT DOESNT MATTER TO ME ..." 15:31  |  ... 29/07/08
      27.   since morning ! ı cried a lot. look like no reason . 15:36  |  ... 29/07/08
      28.   Reality on the Ground 15:43  |  Arie 29/07/08
      29.   OLMERT 15:44  |  mike 29/07/08
      30.   isnt it interesting ! NO ONE COMES BACK. 15:54  |  ... 29/07/08
      31.   #, 29, MIKE 15:57  |  indrajaya 29/07/08
      32.   Stupidity 16:02  |  Timmy 29/07/08
      33.   Need to get it done 16:05  |  Dave Duncan 29/07/08
      34.   olmert 17:03  |  azad 29/07/08
      35.   HE`S ALWAYS RELAXED WHEN IT COMES TO MORE OF HIS RUINS/REMAINS 17:20  |  glenna 29/07/08
      36.   Israel downgrades the rights of its own captured soldiers. 17:51  |  Jean Van Daem 29/07/08
      37.   #6 Hastraroth..No More given To Hamas And we no Dead Bodies. 17:58  |  KATHY 29/07/08
      38.   To some degree Israel has been defeated by Olmert 18:01  |  BIG SUR 29/07/08
      39.   Olmert - Israel Deserves Such Leadership 18:03  |  Tod Zuckerman 29/07/08
      40.   We want Shalit alive 18:35  |  KUTW 29/07/08
      41.   # 5 fred..Of course they have.The revolving door policy. 18:36  |  KATHY 29/07/08
      42.   Dont do like with Hizbollah 18:37  |  KUTW 29/07/08
      43.   Whose weakness? 18:42  |  KUTW 29/07/08
      44.   #39 Tod, you`re absolutely right. If the current 19:01  |  Freethinker 29/07/08
      45.   # 44 Freethinker..The Countries Leaders You Mentioned,can Afford 19:29  |  KATHY 29/07/08
      46.   # 37 Kathy.Your ultimatum.Release Shalit or ????? 19:49  |  Toronto`s Finest 29/07/08
      47.   #46 TF Then we will have to wait won`t we? 20:19  |  KATHY 29/07/08
      48.   Dave Duncan 20:25  |  Connie 29/07/08
      49.   Police Investgations have weakened Olmert`s position..... 20:37  |  Dolly 29/07/08
      50.   # 49 Dolly..Police Investigations have weakened Olmert`s position 21:07  |  KATHY 29/07/08
      51.   # 47 Kathy.I am not condoning anyone`s abhorent behaviour. 21:09  |  Toronto`s Finest 29/07/08
      52.   Dear Haaretz 22:16  |  Big Sur 29/07/08
      53.   Release the Palestinian lawmakers,women and above all the 22:17  |  lakshmi 29/07/08
      54.   #50 BIG SUR.I say Dear Haaretz.Why oh Why too 22:32  |  KATHY 29/07/08
      55.   Dear "Big" Sur, what a whining, pitiful creep you are # 50 22:34  |  Clickfool 29/07/08
      56.   regarding Olmert I will try once more 22:36  |  Big Sur 29/07/08
      57.   Lakshmi #51 How about terrorists who board a cruise line and take 22:43  |  Big Sur 29/07/08
      58.   Cliky I must be in good company I am with you. 22:46  |  Big Sur 29/07/08
      59.   tHANKS kATHY, iT APPEARS i WHINED WHEN i STOOD UP FOR CLICKY 22:53  |  BNig Sur 29/07/08
      60.   # 54 Poor Kathy. Now you think that Haaretz also hates Jews. 23:13  |  Toronto`s Finest 29/07/08
      61.   For Big Sur # 59 23:13  |  Clickfool 29/07/08
      62.   big sir 23:49  |  alan