Barak backs IDF Chief's right to query release of jailed Gazans - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Wed., October 03, 2007 ,

Israel Time: 10:09 (EST+7)

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



		IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. (Archives)

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 20:43 02/10/2007

Barak backs IDF Chief's right to query release of jailed Gazans

By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent and agencies

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday backed Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi for the letter he wrote in which he expressed reservations over Israel's release of 29 Palestinian prisoners to the Gaza Strip.

Ashkenazi sent Barak and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert a letter saying it was immoral to release Gazans held by Israel while abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit remained in the hands of his Hamas captors. The contents of the letter were publicized Monday night on Channel 2.

Israel released Tuesday 29 Palestinian prisoners to Gaza after President Shimon Peres delayed their release over Gaza militants' refusal to release Shalit.

	Advertisement

On Monday, Israel released 57 Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank in an effort to build trust between the sides ahead of a U.S.-sponsored peace summit in November. Hundreds of Gazans had gathered at a crossing with Israel in anticipation of the planned release of the Gaza prisoners as well.

But Peres, who is charged with authorizing sentence commutations, did not sign off on the Gazans' release until late Monday.

The prisoners left the Ketziot prison in southern Israel in a Prisoners' Authority bus, arriving at the Erez crossing with Gaza around noon.

During the release Tuesday, IDF opened fire on a group of Palestinians approaching the border, wounding a Reuters cameraman there to cover the event.

Troops fired warning shots in the air to keep the crowd away, and then shot at the legs of individuals failed to heed their warnings.

Meanwhile, a senior source in the Prime Minister's office rejected rumors that Olmert and Ashkenazi were at odds over the Gaza prisoners' release.

The source blamed politically-motivated parties for spreading the rumor in an attempt to turn the premier and army head against each other.

Militants linked to Hamas group captured Shalit in June 2006 after they tunneled under a fence separating Gaza from Israel and attacked an Israeli army base. Two other soldiers were killed.

MKs decry Ashkenazi comments
Members of Knesset on Tuesday morning spoke out against Ashkenazi for questioning the morality of a prisoner release.

Meretz MK Ran Cohen and MK Gideon Sa'ar of Likud both said that the army should not interfere in political matters.

In the letter, circulated on Monday among cabinet ministers, Ashkenazi expressed his reservations over the release of Palestinian prisoners from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip so long as IDF soldier Shalit is still being held there by the Islamic group.

A spokesman for Peres, who as president has to authorize sentence commutations, refused to comment on whether the decision to release 57 prisoners from the West Bank but postpone that of 30 others from the Gaza Strip was related to Ashkenazi's letter.

Peres' signature was not required for the release of West Bank-based prisoners because the area is under the authority of the Israel Defense Forces and the men were freed in accordance with an order signed by an IDF general.

The 87 prisoners are mostly members of Fatah, along with several who are members of smaller Palestinian factions. None belong to Hamas.

Israel holds around 11,000 Palestinian prisoners, and their release has long been a central Palestinian demand.

Related articles:
Israel to release 30 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza on Tuesday
Olmert at Sharm summit: Israel to free 250 Fatah prisoners

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Lights out
	Electric company cancels emergency bond issue due to credit rating reduction fears.


	No free lunches
	Accountant General Zelekha demands VIPs pay taxes on their free medical benefits.




1.	red cross visit is denied but we are freeing without any sign of	08:01	\|	Vogel	02/10/07

2.	WHO is defending the Country......?	08:24	\|	Dagma	02/10/07

3.	We will free the participants and patrons of your death and maimi	09:43	\|	BenTemalion	02/10/07

4.	prisoner release	11:41	\|	Aidel	02/10/07

5.	MKs QUESTIONING ASHKENAZI ??	13:00	\|	Robert	02/10/07

6.	Does CoS Ahskanazi, ever thought of the 11000 Pals	13:43	\|	Hamza	02/10/07

7.	#1Vogel. Tell the World, are RED CROSS allowed visitation	13:55	\|	Hans,	02/10/07

8.	#1 I agree with your feelings.	13:59	\|	John Allen	02/10/07

9.	#2Dagma.Do not worry yourself too much	14:03	\|	CHAIM Av.	02/10/07

10.	Read my blog to #1 and am sorry for Israel.	14:03	\|	John Allen	02/10/07

11.	Shot at their legs???	15:48	\|	Joe	02/10/07

12.	RELEASE ALL KIDNAPPED PALESTINIANS	16:05	\|	TrippleJump	02/10/07

13.	29 released...	16:32	\|	Silvienne	02/10/07

14.	Silvienne #13	16:54	\|	George Kaplan	02/10/07

15.	# 7 Hans Yes the Red Cross does visit	17:10	\|	Lynn	02/10/07

16.	# 11 Joe of US	17:13	\|	Lynn	02/10/07

17.	Silvienne on releasing prisoners	17:14	\|	Lynn	02/10/07

18.	To Hamza # 6 - 11,000 Palestinian Prisoners	17:18	\|	Dagma	02/10/07

19.	To John Allen # 8 - Bolton was right!	17:35	\|	Dagma	02/10/07

20.	Silvienne	18:05	\|	Connie M.	02/10/07

21.	General Ashkenazi. Without ours boys, Peres is not only immoral..	18:13	\|	bat yam	02/10/07

22.	Immorality Of The MKs.	18:35	\|	Jim	02/10/07

23.	re#16 Lynn	18:46	\|	Joe	02/10/07

24.	Hamza	18:50	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	02/10/07

25.	Politicians	18:59	\|	Nemesis	02/10/07

26.	Military State?	19:12	\|	Palestinian Brit	02/10/07

27.	Lynn and bomb belts	19:14	\|	Palestinian Brits	02/10/07

28.	Gabi is 100% correct	19:31	\|	Stephanie	02/10/07

29.	#13..Silvienne	19:34	\|	Nemesis	02/10/07

30.	Shooting cameraman...just like Burma	19:34	\|	Tim	02/10/07

31.	Doesn`t Ashkenazi realize?	19:49	\|	Jon	02/10/07

32.	Connie	19:51	\|	Palestinian Brit	02/10/07

33.	#32..Palestinian Brit re:Connie	19:58	\|	Nemesis	02/10/07

34.	Morality of a colonialist	20:17	\|	Lu-i	02/10/07

35.	What has Barak learned?	20:43	\|	Chick	02/10/07

36.	# 19 dagma	21:00	\|	Axel	02/10/07

37.	release of jailed gazans	21:09	\|	Shmuelshachor	02/10/07

38.	Those Prisoners should never have been released	21:21	\|	Dagma	02/10/07

39.	Get rid of the prisoners	21:24	\|	Boris	02/10/07

40.	To axel # 36 - What Israel rightfully oiwns	21:52	\|	Dagma	02/10/07

41.	To Jon # 31 - And they lost .....	22:01	\|	Dolly	02/10/07

42.	Olmert/Peres are drunk with power	22:01	\|	bernard ross	02/10/07

43.	army of thugs	22:13	\|	Sami	02/10/07

44.	Israel releases prisoners....	22:32	\|	Rabbi Izzy Lahm	02/10/07

45.	To Lu-i # 34 - THERE IS NO OCCUPATION	22:45	\|	Dolly	02/10/07

46.	#38 Bernard Ross	22:59	\|	Jo Jo	02/10/07

47.	#43,,Sami	00:12	\|	Nemesis	03/10/07

48.	39 Boris. "It is such a waste of money to feed and house them."	00:22	\|	common sense	03/10/07

49.	Palestinian Brit	00:58	\|	ConnieM.	03/10/07

50.	OMERT DO NOT PASS GO, AND DIRECTLY TO JAIL!!	03:23	\|	NEIL GOLAN	03/10/07

51.	The abominable slowman is back	03:38	\|	yawn	03/10/07

52.	Now we have west bankers and Gazans !	07:49	\|	jay	03/10/07

Today Online


	Bradley Burston: Yes, Sen. McCain, America is a Christian nation
	Responses: 48


	Shmuel Rosner: The real gap between Israel, Palestinians is the timetable
	Responses: 4


	Editorial: The occupation is becoming more like political apartheid
	Responses: 12


	Ruth Gavison: Israel does not need to recognize the right of return
	Responses: 4


	Dafna Golan: A 9-year-old is threatening the Jewish majority
	Responses: 3

Rosner's Domain

Israel-Palestine: Forget the right of return, the real problem is timetable

* Poll: what will be the most difficult Israeli/Palestinian issue to overcome?

* Guest: Why there's no need to condemn John McCain for the "Christian Nation"?

* American Jews are in great danger. Here's the proof

More Headlines
03:08 Mideast summit may be delayed to late November


08:32 Palestinians say Hamas militant killed in IAF strike on Gaza


08:27 PM denies tension with IDF chief over release of Gaza prisoners


08:18 Dichter: I did not call for end to investigation into PM Olmert


08:21 Lev Leviev funds religious programs in state schools


04:17 U.S. Jewish groups to lobby Interpol for action on AMIA bombing


06:24 Despite new law, no fines yet for cyclists without helmets


10:09 17 years after German reunification, xenophobia renews East-West divide


22:57 Father, 2 of his children killed in road accident in Jordan Valley


22:13 American prof. questions role of halakha in modern legal system