Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., September 27, 2007 , | | Israel Time: 07:54 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Print Edition
Diplomacy
Defense Arts & Leisure Real Estate Jewish World National Advertising
Magazine Week's End Business Opinion Rosner's Domain Anglo File Books Travel
A Palestinian man putting up pictures of Palestinian women prisoners. (Reuters)
del.icio.us
Digg It!  new
Last update - 01:45 24/09/2007
PA: Police deployed in Nablus before receiving Israeli okay
By Barak Ravid, Avi Issacharoff, Ofer Aderet and Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies

Palestinian Authority sources said Sunday that the PA had already begun policing the West Bank city of Nablus without Israeli approval, following Israel's announcement that it had agreed to a PA request to allow the deployment of 500 police officers to enforce law and order in Nablus during daylight hours.

The government also approved Sunday the release of 91 Palestinian prisoners, as a goodwill gesture for the holiday of Eid el-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

According to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office, roughly one-third of the prisoners to be released are Gaza Strip residents.

Advertisement
In response to the prisoner release, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said there can be no peace agreement while thousands more Palestinians remain in Israeli jails.

"The prisoner issue is at the crux of the peace process, and there can't be an agreement while thousands of prisoners are in Israeli jails," The Associated Press quoted Abbas as saying.

The prisoners slated to be released are members of the Palestinian factions Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and are all considered without "blood on their hands" - meaning they were not directly involved in the killing of Israelis.

A government spokeswoman said the prisoners could be freed by Tuesday evening.

The PA has long demanded that prisoners serving lengthy sentences be released, and that names be decided through negotiations. Abbas noted that many Palestinian prisoners have served 30 years or more in Israeli jails.

Israel holds roughly 11,000 Palestinian prisoners, many imprisoned in the past seven years of conflict. Because so many Palestinians have relatives imprisoned in Israel, releases are seen as an effective way of swaying Palestinian opinion in favor of moderation after more than a decade of failed negotiations drove many to support Hamas, which wrested control of the Gaza Strip in June.

The original list contained 100 names, but 10 prisoners were removed after it emerged that they did not fulfill all the criteria. The updated list of 91 names will be brought before the cabinet subcommittee for the release of prisoners later Sunday for individual approval. After it is approved, the list will be published, and the public will be given 48 hours to appeal.

Sixteen cabinet ministers voted in favor of the release, while six voted against. Shaul Mofaz (Kadima), Yitzhak Aharonovich (Yisrael Beiteinu) and four members of Shas voted against the prisoner release. Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman abstained.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday at a Kadima ministers' meeting that the release of Palestinian prisoners is a gesture that Israel extends to the Palestinians every year at Ramadan.

"The criteria are the same [each year], and the release will not harm efforts to secure the release of [abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier] Gilad Shalit, because the prisoners are also included on Hamas' list," Olmert said, referring to a list of prisoners that Hamas, who is holding Shalit, seeks to exchange for the captive soldier.

The United States will invite the members of an Arab League panel that includes Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia to a Middle East peace conference it plans to hold this year, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday.
Bookmark to del.icio.us
Yiddishkeit hero
A central Yiddish poet, Melech Rawitch has too small a presence in Hebrew culture.
The trials of Grant
Grant feels the pressure as his club Chelsea readies to face underdogs Hull.
  1.   Condi attempts an end run 02:35  |  Mark Lincoln 23/09/07
  2.   Abbas whats wrong with you eh???? why invite those losers? 02:37  |  Tamir Palestine 23/09/07
  3.   Nixon Went to China 02:39  |  Arab American 23/09/07
  4.   The good thing is that nobody had the stupid idea to invite Iran 02:43  |  Rafa 23/09/07
  5.   The more the arab countries interfere, the more it get worse 02:48  |  Tamir Palestine 23/09/07
  6.   This conference is not going anywhere since the key player is 02:54  |  lakshmi 23/09/07
  7.   Confused 03:03  |  Paul 23/09/07
  8.   united nations conference 03:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  9.   Syria and Lebanon Don`t Want Peace, Nor Do Palestinians 03:42  |  Yoram 23/09/07
  10.   Why Meet??? 03:46  |  Moshe 23/09/07
  11.   Rice: "conditions are not yet ripe" 04:17  |  spyguy 23/09/07
  12.   Who Will Represent the Palestinians? 04:56  |  Reader 23/09/07
  13.   It coould be a loaded partial document/ which launches FSN 05:02  |  J 23/09/07
  14.   Good idea to invite Syria & Lebanon 05:05  |  Smadar 23/09/07
  15.   Cipora #8 you`re probably right... 05:36  |  Smadar 23/09/07
  16.   Tamir Palestine # 5 The Arab Ultimatum 05:57  |  Jeff Northridge 23/09/07
  17.   #15, Smadar 06:23  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  18.   Iakshmi # 6 Engaging Hamas 06:42  |  Jeff Northridge 23/09/07
  19.   IT WILL FAIL, LIKE THE US INVASION IN IRAQ 06:49  |  indrajaya 23/09/07
  20.   Delaying tactic while Jews steal more property 06:57  |  keith 23/09/07
  21.   The U.S. will to accede to the Palestinian Authority`s demand . . 07:15  |  Born In The USA 23/09/07
  22.   #11spyguy and total tripe again!! 09:38  |  victor hardman 23/09/07
  23.   Absolutely essential to invite Syria, Lebanon 09:40  |  Ivar 23/09/07
  24.   re #6 `The conference is not going anywhere...` 10:11  |  Colin Wright 23/09/07
  25.   Some people here do not get it 10:46  |  Natallie Durson 23/09/07
  26.   Israel desperately dragging its feet 11:25  |  Michael 23/09/07
  27.   A loaded guesture, Dr. Rice? 11:47  |  Giles Martin 23/09/07
  28.   It works because 90 Fatah have been arrested lately 12:09  |  Natallie Durson 23/09/07
  29.   Big bloody deal 12:14  |  Clickfool 23/09/07
  30.   "Gesture extended every year to pals". With what results? 12:18  |  Absolute Sweden 23/09/07
  31.   Richard Reid to go free 12:34  |  Michael 23/09/07
  32.   Another very tedious photo to accompany the story 13:26  |  Clickfool 23/09/07
  33.   lebanon and syria have to be party to the peace 14:11  |  roberta 23/09/07
  34.   No 31. Can`t you read? 14:28  |  Palestinian Brit 23/09/07
  35.   Don`t bother inviting Lebanon to the peace conference 14:35  |  Conroy 23/09/07
  36.   How Much more Of This appeasement 15:11  |  ralphsrant1 23/09/07
  37.   Same old dance, why do we even bother? 15:52  |  Jon 23/09/07
  38.   WE WILL PAY THE CONSEQUENCES 15:52  |  BEN GOURION 23/09/07
  39.   I Don`t Know 32 15:54  |  Reader 23/09/07
  40.   Abbas: No peace as long as Israel holds PA prisoners 16:07  |  Arthur 23/09/07
  41.   abbas should be 1er minister of israel !!! 16:07  |  albert 23/09/07
  42.   It`s NOT a conference 16:11  |  * BEN JABO 23/09/07
  43.   No peace when Palestinians do nothing to gain a peaceful solution 16:16  |  R 23/09/07
  44.   Abbas has the hutzpah to damand mass murderers go free 16:40  |  Anat 23/09/07
  45.   10,000 Gaza Jews EXPELLED-Goodwill to Muslims. EVIL to JEWS 16:46  |  Linda Rivera 23/09/07
  46.   no peace because arabs don`t want peace 16:47  |  peter 23/09/07
  47.   90 out of 11,000 16:57  |  Palestinian Brit 23/09/07
  48.   How many are "suspects" and never had a trial? 16:59  |  Palestinian Brit 23/09/07
  49.   poor palestinian brit 17:10  |  peter 23/09/07
  50.   Which Palestinians is Abbas talking about? 17:34  |  Dolly 23/09/07
  51.   #47 Pal Brit 17:35  |  * BEN JABO 23/09/07
  52.   #49 Pal Brit 17:37  |  * BEN JABO 23/09/07
  53.   another beta blocker launched by abbas 17:44  |  victor hardman 23/09/07
  54.   Mr. Holocaust denier wants terrorists free 17:51  |  Jonathan S 23/09/07
  55.   no peace talks so long as rockets suicide bombers keep acting 17:53  |  ralph 23/09/07
  56.   To keith the blind 18:13  |  make me sick 23/09/07
  57.   to abbas and all jew haters 18:26  |  vik 23/09/07
  58.   Palestinians are RUDE, never say thank you to Israel In the Media 18:29  |  Tal 23/09/07
  59.   Abbas how about no peace accord till you rein in the Lunatics 18:39  |  Kipperraes 23/09/07
  60.   this is supposed to be about discusion not demand 18:45  |  zionist forever 23/09/07
  61.   One State Solution 18:51  |  Nemesis 23/09/07
  62.   No Palestinian prisoners 18:58  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 23/09/07
  63.   Excellent, Abbas adds a 2nd deal-killer to "Right-of-Return" 19:35  |  Dr. L. Brnd 23/09/07
  64.   Jews languishing in Arab jails? 20:06  |  Palestinian Brit 23/09/07
  65.   arabs are not ready for peace 20:07  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  66.   Palestinian Brit 20:44  |  Gina 23/09/07
  67.   Palestinian Brit - Question 20:47  |  Gina 23/09/07
  68.   PA demands release of Terrorists in exchange for... Nothing. 21:09  |  Efox 23/09/07
  69.   Side Show -- Prepare for War 22:29  |  Robert 23/09/07
  70.   LAKSHMI AND "THE QUISLINGS" 00:01  |  Brant 24/09/07
  71.   To Palestinian Brit 00:11  |  Dakkar 24/09/07
  72.   Abbas for peace?? 00:17  |  Nemesis 24/09/07
  73.   # 6 lakshmi and the hope for Hamas 02:49  |  Lynn 24/09/07
  74.   Muslim salvation 03:03  |  Paul 24/09/07
  75.   Amnesia 03:06  |  Paul 24/09/07
  76.   #64 Palestinian Brit 05:35  |  * BEN JABO 24/09/07
  77.   The use of force is the currency of the region 05:57  |  Natallie Durson 24/09/07
  78.   This Is An Insult! BUT, Palestinians Continue To Support Abbas. 06:18  |  Proud Pal Defender 24/09/07
  79.   Natalie Durson -- Great idea! 07:22  |  Gina 24/09/07
  80.