Rightist lawmakers Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's plan to release 250 Fatah prisoners as part of a package of steps aimed at strengthening Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, saying that Israel risked resumption of terror attacks for the sake of an Olmert photo opportunity.

Olmert announced the plan on Monday at the close of a four-way summit with Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II, saying that Israel would only release prisoners not held for deaths of its citizens.

"As a gesture of goodwill toward the Palestinians, I will bring before the Israeli cabinet at its next meeting a proposal to free 250 Fatah prisoners who do not have blood on their hands, after they sign a commitment not to return to violence," Olmert said.

	Advertisement

Senior Likud lawmaker Gideon Sa'ar said Tuesday that Olmert had "sold" the prisoner offer "for a photo opportunity, with no real return, and with a high price to pay" in the future. Olmert's declaration, Sa'ar said, would weaken Israel and was liable to bring about the resumption of terror attacks.

MK Yisrael Hasson of Yisrael Beiteinu hinted Tuesday that concessions such as a prisoner release might convince the right-wing party to bolt Olmert's ruling coalition. "We must continue to monitor the prime minister's policy before we decide whether we intend to leave the coalition," Hasson told Army Radio.

MK Nissan Slomiansky said Olmert had "turned Abu Mazen [Abbas] into a figure more saintly than the Pope, while Fatah was responsible for sending suicide terrorists into Israel.

From the left, meanwhile, there was praise for Olmert's stance. Leftist Meretz party chair Yossi Beilin called Olmert's speech "courageous and important."

Palestinian analysts said that the move was unlikely to significantly improve Abbas' standing among Palestinians, as only members of Abbas' Fatah were to be freed.

Hamas dismissed Olmert's offer as evidence of Fatah collaboration with Israel. "The release of 250 Fatah activists ... is cooperation between the Palestinian leadership and the Israeli occupation," a Hamas spokesman said.

'Gangsters of Fatah'
The prime minister had previously ruled out freeing Palestinian prisoners as long as Israel Defense Forces corporal Gilad Shalit remains in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

Shalit's captors on Monday released an audio recording of the captive soldier speaking, to coincide with the date of his abduction a year ago.

Far-right MK Benny Elon (National Union), while not ruling out the possibility of a prisoner release for the sake of an exchange for kidnapped soldiers, said Tuesday that Olmert's peace bid was doomed. "You can't make peace with gangsters, even those who are ostensibly cute and ostensibly nice," he told Israel Radio, in a reference to Abbas.

According to Elon, the recent internal bloodshed in Gaza proved that "the only difference between the gangsters of Hamas and the gangsters of Fatah is that the gangsters of Hamas shoot you in the kneecaps from the back, and the gangsters of Fatah shoot you in the kneecaps from the front."