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Miki Goldwasser. (Dror Artzi / Jini)
Last update - 12:31 10/01/2008
Abducted soldier's mother: Politicians seeking clout off our sons' backs
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Palestinians, Israel 

Objection to easing the criteria for the release of Palestinian prisoners stems from politicians' desire to gain favor and political clout in the eyes of constituents, the mother of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Ehud Goldwasser said on Tuesday.

Miki Goldwasser, whose son was abducted by Hezbollah militants in the July 2006 incident that sparked the Second Lebanon War, was speaking at a rally held for abducted soldiers at the Emek Yizreel College.

A special ministerial forum examining the criteria for releasing Palestinian security prisoners appeared on Monday to have secured a majority in favor of relaxing the conditions, to include prisoners with "blood on their hands." Several MKs have voiced their opposition, including MK Israel Hasson (Yisrael Beiteinu), who said that "the question is not what the families of the abducted soldiers say, but what the families of fallen soldiers say."
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Goldwasser said that she "wants to scream out loud: return our soldiers who have been taken hostage by no fault of their own. Someone was responsible for their abduction. They don't need to bear the consequences. They bear indescribable suffering by groups of cruel people. Who knows what they're going through every second of every day, for a year and a half already."

Goldwasser also addressed efforts to free IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted on the Gaza border three weeks before her son was kidnapped in the north. Regarding opposition to relaxing criteria for freeing prisoners, she said, "I ask, how would they react if their child was the one who was abducted, and not my child? It's very easy to reap political profit off of someone else's back."

The current conditions for freeing security prisoners were set by the Shin Bet security service in the prisoner exchange of 2004 that freed Elhanan Tannenbaum.

Defense officials have said that no senior Hamas prisoners could be released in an exchange for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit without changing the present criteria that prohibit the release of prisoners with "blood on their hands."

The ministerial forum convened Monday and is expected to meet again on Wednesday. The ministers hope to have their recommendations ready by the end of next week, to present to the ministerial committee on prisoner release and the political-security cabinet.

The forum is authorized to formulate recommendations, not to make operative decisions. "The final decision regarding the criteria will be given a broader forum," a source said.

Monday's meeting included a briefing from Ofer Dekel, the government's point man on efforts to free Israel's kidnapped soldiers, who spoke about his recent talks in Cairo with Egyptian intelligence officials. The meeting was attended by Vice Premier Haim Ramon, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, and Minister without Portfolio Ami Ayalon.

Ramon is willing to be flexible over relaxing the criteria for a prisoner release, Dichter is open to discussion on the matter and Ayalon also supports flexibility, "strictly for the purpose of a deal to release Gilad Shalit," who was abducted by in June 2006 by Gaza Strip militants.

Friedmann is reportedly opposed to easing the criteria, as is the Shin Bet.

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      1.   Such action will encourage Hamas to kidnap more soldiers 05:31  |  Conroy 25/12/07
      2.   Israel should have never kidnapped them in the first place... 05:32  |  PETER SM 25/12/07
      3.   This is so because... 05:36  |  Judith 25/12/07
      4.   The answer should be NO to blackmail by terrorists! 06:42  |  Marabu 25/12/07
      5.   Judith`s response #2. 07:05  |  sandra chitayat 25/12/07
      6.   Hitler, Goering, Goebbels Didn`t Have Blood On Their Hands 07:21  |  Ben Israel 25/12/07
      7.   PETER SM: No, we should have killed them as the custom around us 07:57  |  Israeli 25/12/07
      8.   adapt Saudi islamic law: cut their hands off before release 07:59  |  avigdor 25/12/07
      9.   Settlers & IDF war criminals with blood on their hands 08:21  |  Santa Claus 25/12/07
      10.   Peter SM and others 08:38  |  Otto Rand 25/12/07
      11.   Santa?s Excellent Criterion 08:42  |  Dan 25/12/07
      12.   Two Qassam rockets fired at Sderot 08:43  |  vik 25/12/07
      13.   Completely Insane 09:00  |  Ron 25/12/07
      14.   Is Shalit already at home? 09:11  |  KUTW 25/12/07
      15.   Santa claus 09:14  |  Connie 25/12/07
      16.   Lunatics running the government 09:21  |  Connie 25/12/07
      17.   sadly 09:21  |  rm 25/12/07
      18.   criteria shmiteria - blood on the hands. 09:38  |  Steve the Pals. 25/12/07
      19.   Shakit Shalit Shalit 09:57  |  Fred Locke 25/12/07
      20.   Connie - Sorry we don`t believe in Santa Claus. I have to better 10:32  |  km 25/12/07
      21.   SINCE WHEN VAMPIRES QUESTINIONED "BLOOD ON HANDS" 10:47  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 25/12/07
      22.   SINCE WHEN VAMPIRES QUESTINIONED "BLOOD ON HANDS" 10:47  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 25/12/07
      23.   #2 is a faker 10:51  |  can`t you see that? 25/12/07
      24.   Otto you`re a good soul 10:53  |  Israeli 25/12/07
      25.   What Do We Say To The Parents Of Next Year`s Kidnapped Soldier? 10:59  |  dyinglikeflies 25/12/07
      26.   We have a post-zionist PM 11:16  |  Nora 25/12/07
      27.   Reply to Israeli (Post No. 21) 12:00  |  Johnny Weintraub 25/12/07
      28.   BLOOD ON THEIR HEADS, THEN RELEASED 12:17  |  indrajaya 25/12/07
      29.   # 23 no way! it`s known as a "freudian slip" 12:25  |  eric 25/12/07
      30.   Our MORONIC LEADERS..... 12:31  |  SPTZ 25/12/07
      31.   #25, dyinglikeflies 12:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 25/12/07
      32.   If the ministers release prisoners with `blood on hands` 13:07  |  Yonatan 25/12/07
      33.   FAKE PETER SM @ 2.Do not Heroic Jihadists shout Victory or Death 13:11  |  PETER SM 25/12/07
      34.   All women,children,political prisoners,especially the members of 13:19  |  lakshmi 25/12/07
      35.   Prisoners of war by definition have blood on their hans 13:32  |  Ivar 25/12/07
      36.   eric looks like you know as much about psychiatry 13:33  |  PETER SM 25/12/07
      37.   OTTO Rand @2 has nothing to do with me,nor have I ever presumed 13:48  |  PETER SM 25/12/07
      38.   # 35 Ivar "Prisoners of war by definition have blood on their han 13:48  |  17 25/12/07
      39.   POWs fight soldiers not attack civillians as Pals. do by choice 13:52  |  PETER SM 25/12/07
      40.   A true enigma, Israel and the "christian" attitude towards enemy 13:57  |  Johnny 25/12/07
      41.   # 36 peter; my apology 14:05  |  eric 25/12/07
      42.   ... and the curse still goes on ..... 14:10  |  Sharif Hafez 25/12/07
      43.   Peace with Palestinians will require release of ALL prisoners 14:27  |  Ivar 25/12/07
      44.   Sharif Hafez, the biggest curse is your religion 14:39  |  Johnny 25/12/07
      45.   Merry Chrismas, Johhny 14:54  |  Ivar 25/12/07
      46.   Exchange Olmert, Peretz & Livni for our soldiers 14:56  |  React 25/12/07
      47.   who all habve blood on their hands? 14:56  |  ravi 25/12/07
      48.   #12 Vik And 20 IDF missiles 14:58  |  Dav 25/12/07
      49.   no 1... what encourages the hamas? 14:59  |  ravi 25/12/07
      50.   I feel badly about Shalit, but he is soldier 15:09  |  The Equalizer 25/12/07
      51.   # 44 Johnny Re: Sharif Hafez 15:12  |  Gil J. Yashar 25/12/07
      52.   # 47 Define your terms Ravi 15:16  |  Gil J. Yashar 25/12/07
      53.   #47 ravi and the equation of idiocy 15:24  |  victor hardman 25/12/07
      54.   What Ever Happened to Trail and Conviction or Not? 15:43  |  Jane 25/12/07
      55.   NO to freeing terrorists and thugs 16:38  |  Brod 25/12/07
      56.   Ivar # 43 It`s More Complicated Than That 16:41  |  Jeff Northridge 25/12/07
      57.   ivar # 43 and what are you guys offering israel for the release 17:04  |  terrornator 25/12/07
      58.   Blood on their hands 17:09  |  Ros 25/12/07
      59.   ravi,pal blood does count,,,it counts about 1 israeli for 17:10  |  terrornator 25/12/07
      60.   #44 Religion is innocent, it is us u can blame! 17:16  |  Sharif Hafez 25/12/07
      61.   ravi # 47 It Depends On The Type Of Blood--Not On How Much 17:39  |  Jeff Northridge 25/12/07
      62.   Dying #25 17:49  |  GABE1 25/12/07
      63.   Deportations to free the hostages 17:49  |  Joe Diaz 25/12/07
      64.   blood on their hands 17:51  |  bill gordon 25/12/07
      65.   Cipora #31 17:58  |  GABE1 25/12/07
      66.   to CJ Kohn #31 18:00  |  zeev 25/12/07
      67.   Need to make a deal 19:29  |  Marty G. 25/12/07
      68.   Send the terrorists parts from their families, leaders 20:12  |  Efox 25/12/07
      69.   A natural definition of POW 20:20  |  Tosefta 25/12/07
      70.   # 35 IvarPrisoners of war by definition have blood on their hans 20:31