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Damascus-based Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal. (AP)
Last update - 00:17 01/04/2008
Abducted soldier's mother: PM must pay price to retrieve them
By Avi Issacharoff and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel, Qassams 

Miki Goldwasser, the mother of one of the two Israel Defense Forces soldiers whose abduction by Hezbollah in 2006 triggered the Second Lebanon War, attacked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday over the government's failure to retrieve them.

Speaking at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, Goldwasser said: "Olmert, you want to be remembered for striving to bring the soldiers back without paying the price, but you will be remembered for having created three more Ron Arad cases."

Ron Arad, an IAF navigator, abandoned his Phantom jet over Lebanon in 1986 and his fate remains unknown. His family believes he is still alive in Iran.
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Goldwasser called the tendency to refrain from making major concessions to the enemy in order not to encourage further abductions of IDF soldiers is a "poor excuse."

"Abductions continued even though Israel didn't pay the price for Ron Arad," she added.

She also said that the main reason for draft dodging is young people's lack of confidence in the system.

Earlier on Monday, Minister Eli Yishai urged the government to hold direct negotiations with the Islamist Hamas movement over the release of abducted IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit, hours after Hamas leader Khaled Meshal said that the soldier was still alive after almost two years in captivity.

In response, Yishai told Army Radio that the fact that Shalit is still being held in captivity is proof that the government is not doing enough for his release.

"We must do more to bring the abductees home," Yishai said, adding: "And therefore, I am ready to meet with Hamas in Europe or in Egypt. Nothing is more important than the return of hostages."

Yishai said he would also be willing to negotiate with Hezbollah over the release of reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who July 2006 abduction sparked a month-long war with Hezbollah.

Earlier, Hamas' Meshal had told Sky News from Damascus, where he is based: "Gilad is still alive and we treat him in a good way, while the Israelis treat our prisoners badly and everyone knows that."

"Gilad Shalit is an internee who was taken by our military," Meshal said. "He was fighting us while the majority of the Palestinian prisoners are civilians from the Palestinian Parliament. They are civilian and political leaders not military leaders."

When asked about indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli communities in the south, Meshal said that the "the rockets are an ordinary reaction towards the Israeli occupation and their Apache helicopters and F16 jets."

Meshal then denied that the group had targeted a kindergarten. Several of the Qassam rockets from Gaza have hit on or near schools and kindergartens.

"We didn't attack a kindergarten. We have primitive weapons. I ask the international community and the Americans to give us more advanced weapons so we can shoot more accurately."

When asked whether the violence had failed again and again to yield results for the Palestinian cause, Meshal said that it was not the violence that had failed the Palestinians, but rather what he termed "Arab weakness."

"We didn't lose as a result of not recognizing Israel, or accepting their rules and conditions, or the American rules and conditions," he said. "We lost because of the Arab weakness. We didn't have enough power to stop the Israeli occupation. All the people around the world get freedom by using resistance with weapons."

"I want to tell you that the Palestinian people have difficult choices. The road to peace is not fruitful as it was proven later. Israel has no other choice than to deal positively with Arab initiatives. We have nothing left to do except fight. Even our weapons are primitive."

He denied that suicide bombings were carried out by people who had been "brainwashed," and said that they were a response to Israeli actions.

"We do not brainwash anyone. Every Palestinian spontaneosly feels that his land is occupied, that Israel is killing his children and women, demolishing their homes, taking their land, building the wall, building the settlements, and the journalism favors Israel, and digging under the Al-Aqsa Mosque, so the Palestinian individual finds himself going directly to fight for the resistance," he said.

Meshal said that Hamas was willing to end attacks on Israeli civilians, should Israel respond in kind.

"We renew our offer to Israel to let the civilian people from the two sides be free from our conflict. Israel should respond to this offer."

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      1.   Meshal is right about the arab weakness 04:38  |  Shai 31/03/08
      2.   2 Shai,you have projected an idealised view of israel.The reality 05:05  |  lakshmi 31/03/08
      3.   Shalit 05:13  |  Shmuelshachor 31/03/08
      4.   Meshal and the same weak arguments used by the talkbackers 05:15  |  Doc Holliday 31/03/08
      5.   Re: Khaled Meshal 05:26  |  Robin 31/03/08
      6.   What a disappointment to Olmert 05:32  |  Mark Lincoln 31/03/08
      7.   Meshal, if it is within your power, let Gilad go. 05:45  |  Unconditionally And 31/03/08
      8.   The arabs are weak, but the iranians are becoming nuclear 06:02  |  Aounist 31/03/08
      9.   laksmuck 06:16  |  revolutionary hero 31/03/08
      10.   To my friend laskshmi 06:19  |  Shai 31/03/08
      11.   Meshal - the next wonder of the world? 06:31  |  geoff 31/03/08
      12.   unconditionally and 07:29  |  you are so funny!! 31/03/08
      13.   "Israel treats our prisoners bad" 08:10  |  William 31/03/08
      14.   Shai? it is shia 08:17  |  nice try 31/03/08
      15.   Meshal is not Kosher 08:24  |  Zev 31/03/08
      16.   Meshal is not Kosher 08:29  |  Zev 31/03/08
      17.   Just as a matter of interest... 08:30  |  Miriam Ashkelon 31/03/08
      18.   "please give us better weapons to shoot accurately" 08:42  |  William 31/03/08
      19.   Lakshmi#3 thanks for admitted the invalid Pal claims 08:48  |  William 31/03/08
      20.   For how long will we continue???? 08:56  |  Northern 31/03/08
      21.   to shai and doc holiday 09:02  |  alon frank 31/03/08
      22.   If Shalit is alive where is the proof 09:16  |  Adrian de Klerk 31/03/08
      23.   Lakshmi # 3. 09:33  |  David Nigel Braham 31/03/08
      24.   Prisoner treatment MUST be reciprocal 09:33  |  Adrian de Klerk 31/03/08
      25.   To Lakshmishmi & Shai 09:35  |  Yossi 31/03/08
      26.   #1 IS THAT KHALID MESHAL? 09:35  |  Samy 31/03/08
      27.   Only Iran is helping 09:47  |  Clickfool 31/03/08
      28.   OT: Greater love have hath no man than this.. 09:56  |  Clickfool 31/03/08
      29.   " ... suicide bombings ... "brainwashed," ..." 10:13  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 31/03/08
      30.   "We didn`t lose as a result of not recognising Israel" 10:14  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/03/08
      31.   Slow Genocide? Again? 10:15  |  MaryRose 31/03/08
      32.   "We have nothing left to do except fight." 10:18  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/03/08
      33.   Shalit should not be treated well IMHO. 10:23  |  Dutch Dirk 31/03/08
      34.   For "Unconditionally And" # 7 10:24  |  Clickfool 31/03/08
      35.   "We do not brainwash anyone." 10:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/03/08
      36.   HE forgot to define what Hamas means by occupation. 10:24  |  PETER SM 31/03/08
      37.   For Cipora # 26 10:47  |  Clickfool 31/03/08
      38.   For Cipora again # 28 10:48  |  Clickfool 31/03/08
      39.   He is right ! 10:54  |  ordinary Palestinian 31/03/08
      40.   Cipora Julianna Kohn #27 PLO rocognised Israel 11:05  |  Roo 31/03/08
      41.   NEVER negotiate w/ terror = MORE TERROR!!! 11:15  |  Sheryl 31/03/08
      42.   #26, Atilla, thank you for a wonderful post 11:19  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/03/08
      43.   Shas fishing for votes and money as usual 11:29  |  SJ 31/03/08
      44.   Shai reference to Palestinians growing up 11:36  |  Palestinian Prince 31/03/08
      45.   Meshal just "joking" 11:43  |  Undertaker 31/03/08
      46.   Once Israel meets Hamas over Shalit, the ice is broken....... 11:44  |  Swiss (Dino) 31/03/08
      47.   @Samy in #23 11:47  |  A. 31/03/08
      48.   DUTCHDRK.Haniyeh saving his backside by not killing Shalit. 12:18  |  PETER SM 31/03/08
      49.   WE AREN`T LIKE THEM 12:24  |  indrajaya 31/03/08
      50.   ORDINARY PAL.The most precise weapon ever is the suicide bomber 12:54  |  PETER SM 31/03/08
      51.   ORDINARY PAL (2).Before the "occupation" Pal terror was the same. 13:01  |  PETER SM 31/03/08
      52.   #39: ordinary Palestinian and La La land 13:16  |  Doc Holliday 31/03/08
      53.   # 31 It`s not about what whole communuties want. It is commanded 13:16  |  Unconditionally And 31/03/08
      54.   WHAT 10.000 WOMEN AND CHILDREN INSIDE ISRAEL JAILS? 13:19  |  indrajaya 31/03/08
      55.   # 2 lakshmi......"property bought from Turks 13:38  |  Lynn 31/03/08
      56.   Hamas are not civilians, they are blood thristy terrorists. He 13:45  |  aa 31/03/08
      57.   # 29 Atilla....hello 13:46  |  Lynn 31/03/08
      58.   Lakshmi your logic is very faulty 14:05  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 31/03/08
      59.   Mark Lincoln and his continuous campaign against Israel 14:07  |  x-ray 31/03/08
      60.   INDRAJAYA WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE PAL FRONT LINE TROOPS 14:09  |  PETER SM 31/03/08
      61.   INDRAJAYA NOT LIKE THEM AT ALL. PALS ARE SEEN BY RED CROSS 14:14  |  PETER SM 31/03/08
      62.   what kind of people 14:16  |  Gary Schroeder 31/03/08
      63.   Indrajya,Cipora&other zionists;Indrajaya beautifully said! 14:18  |  lakshmi 31/03/08
      64.   Red Cross visit to Shalit-good for Hamas 14:24  |  Aphemia 31/03/08
      65.   Palestinian Prince # 44 Ancient Mandated Palestine 14:30  |  Jeff Northridge 31/03/08
      66.   58 margie of Tel Aviv,your skewed reading of history! Palestinian 14:34  |  lakshmi 31/03/08
      67.   # 49 indrajaya, Are you fearing death or conversion by force for 14:42  |  any of 10,000? 31/03/08
      68.   If Meshal says he is alive, then the poor boy is probably dead 15:24  |  Freethinker 31/03/08
      69.   To lakshmi, please read 15:27  |  some1 31/03/08
      70.   indrajaya # 54 You Have Been Misinformed 15:46  |  Jeff Northridge 31/03/08
      71.   What joy for Mark Lincoln 15:47  |  peter 31/03/08
      72.   Meshal puts the cart before the horse 15:56  |  peter 31/03/08
      73.   For Cipora, yet again # 35 16:02  |  Clickfool 31/03/08
      74.   # 62, GARY SCHROEDER 16:11  |  Indrajaya 31/03/08
      75.   To # 44 the angry Palestinian prince 16:22  |  Abdul Aziz Higazi 31/03/08
      76.   SHALIT IS STILL ALIVE, DON`T WORRY 16:22  |  indrajaya 31/03/08
      77.   #38 A fool on the hill 16:34  |  You must be joking 31/03/08
      78.   Iakshmi # 63 So, Where`s Everybody`s Guts? (part 1) 17:09  |  Jeff Northridge 31/03/08
      79.   Israel cannot afford to have Shalit released 17:17  |  Tosefta 31/03/08
      80.   #76 yes, he`s a Muslim, which is what we`re afraid of 17:18  |  McQueen 31/03/08
      81.   Reply to #74 Indrajaya 17:39  |  Gary 31/03/08
      82.   Iakshmi # 63 So, Where`s Everybody`s Guts? (part 2) 17:44  |  Jeff Northridge 31/03/08
      83.   HAMAS would be better attacking infrastructure 18:07  |  Stephen of New York 31/03/08
      84.   # 39 again an angry hatefull Pal. 18:34  |  Abdul Aziz Higazi 31/03/08
      85.   Lakshmi 18:45  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 31/03/08
      86.   Meshal says that Shalit is treated well, 18:51  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 31/03/08
      87.   Tosefta # 79 Why Would That Bother Israel? 19:53  |  Jeff Northridge 31/03/08
      88.   Meshal is right ... 19:58  |  Dutch 31/03/08
      89.   Haaretz is back blocking posts again 20:08  |  Robert/Montreal 31/03/08
      90.   Only SHAS Cares For IDF Soldiers! 20:11  |  Yechiel 31/03/08
      91.   85 margie of TA,ah now you admit the existence of customary right 20:14  |  lakshmi 31/03/08
      92.   F Meshal and Fiends 20:16  |  Simeon ben Jacob 31/03/08
      93.   65 Howdy Jeff,casuistry! We are talking 56%land given to the jews 20:21  |  lakshmi 31/03/08
      94.   Stephen of New York # 83 That`s Just Brilliant! 20:51  |  Jeff Northridge 31/03/08
      95.   Khaled Meshal Israel Has released Enough Now Its Your Turn 20:52  |  Kipperraes 31/03/08
      96.   #93 lakshmi - the arabs destroyed 181 20:53  |  Adrian de Klerk 31/03/08
      97.   Simeon ben Jacob, the flip side today 20:57  |  Dutch 31/03/08
      98.   Margie from SA now in TA sits on fake olive branch 21:09  |  Labhras 31/03/08
      99.   Lakshimi 21:14  |  Robert/montreal 31/03/08
      100.   Understanding vs. knowledge (Jeff N #87) 21:17  |  Tosefta 31/03/08
      101.   Release a video showing Shalit alive 21:21  |  Chris Linthwaite 31/03/08
      102.   If I were a young Gazan 21:28  |  Scharker Yid 31/03/08
      103.   #Jeff in the Box get it right for once--well half so 21:35  |  Labhras 31/03/08
      104.   to Shai no1 /nobody cares more for the pals then 21:53  |  Tina 31/03/08
      105.   99Robert Montreal,96 Adrian de klerk,Resolution 181 is still in 22:14  |  lakshmi 31/03/08
      106.   Iakshmi # 93 Muddy Waters (part 1) 22:21  |  Jeff Northridge 31/03/08
      107.   Which loss is Meshal referring to? 22:23  |  Tosefta 31/03/08
      108.   For Chris Linthwaite # 101 22:23  |  Clickfool 31/03/08
      109.   Margie 22:32  |  Danite 31/03/08
      110.   Labrhas re margie 22:33  |  danite 31/03/08
      111.   101 Chris doesn`t understand 22:39  |  Jackie 31/03/08
      112.   What is Israel`s business (Jeff Northridge #87) 22:46  |  Tosefta 31/03/08
      113.   Thinking in the Twilight Zone (Margie of TZ #86) 22:58  |  Tosefta 31/03/08
      114.   #79 arabist apologist dusts off an old one 23:01  |  peter 31/03/08
      115.   #109 Herr Doktor Strangelove 23:08  |  PantherJet 31/03/08
      116.   105 lAKSHIMI AS i SAID IT WAS NOT AN ENFORCEABLE DECISION 23:09  |  ROBERT/MONTREAL 31/03/08
      117.   HAMAS TV "Child Kills Bush,Turns White House Into Mosque" 23:13  |  PETER SM 31/03/08
      118.   Iakshmi # 93 Muddy Waters (part 2) 23:14  |  Jeff Northridge 31/03/08
      119.   #111 Jackie 23:28  |  Chris Linthwaite 31/03/08
      120.   #83, fake Stephen NY 23:31  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/03/08
      121.   #77, the fool is never joking 23:36  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/03/08
      122.   Danite- theolive-branch.org 23:38  |  peter 31/03/08
      123.   Lashmi are you retarded??? Part2 23:38  |  George W. Bush 31/03/08
      124.   #117 Mr Simm you forgot Jew Eating Rabbit 23:43  |  Robert/Montreal 31/03/08
      125.   #113, Tosefta and Red Cross visits 23:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/03/08
      126.   More thinking in the Twilight Zone (Peter the Great fantasizer) 23:50  |  Tosefta (re #114) 31/03/08
      127.   Ignorance of #108 23:57  |  Jimmy 31/03/08
      128.   Shai - Your Arrogance Is Comical 00:03  |  Markus 01/04/08
      129.   Ha ha 00:13  |  Uzi 01/04/08
      130.   Danite 00:31  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 01/04/08
      131.   Tosefta # 100 Admirably Expressed 00:46  |  Jeff Northridge 01/04/08
      132.   Poor Tosefta has never heard of irony 00:53  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 01/04/08
      133.   116 Robert Montreal & Howdy Jeff,Robert of M. as I said the 00:59  |  lakshmi 01/04/08
      134.   Tosefta has never heard of irony פעמ שלישית הארצ 01:11  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 01/04/08
      135.   What price should be paid! 01:26  |  Bob 01/04/08
      136.   arabist apologist is knee deep in it 01:28  |  peter 01/04/08
      137.   #125 Jimmy in Boston cares about Israel 01:32  |  Labhras 01/04/08
      138.   #105 lakshmi - wrong again 01:55  |  Adrian de Klerk 01/04/08
      139.   #127 Margi from SA Now in TA 02:17  |  Labhras the Irishman 01/04/08
      140.   These people make me sick 02:39  |  Connie 01/04/08
      141.   dutch the 72 year old has been nurse 02:39  |  Zolman ben Moshe 01/04/08
      142.   lakshimi #63 02:43  |  polnisch 01/04/08
      143.   I am found 02:47  |  roger wallace 01/04/08
      144.   Iakshmi # 133 A Recollection Is Not A Condition 03:38  |  Jeff Northridge 01/04/08
      145.   MORE AND MORE ARAB LIES. 03:45  |  PalestniansAreA Myth 01/04/08
      146.   Tosefta #79 04:08  |  TonyL 01/04/08
      147.   Abdul Aziz, trying being more honest 04:21  |  Palestinian Prince 01/04/08
      148.   This is what Isreal should do 04:26  |  Adrian de Klerk 01/04/08
      149.   I always find the fuss 06:45  |  rm 01/04/08
      150.   to #4: the rebuttle 07:35  |  about2throup 01/04/08
      151.   #105 Lakshmi, Israel was admitted to the UN because the GA... 08:57  |  Mimi 01/04/08
      152.   For Roger Wallace 09:34  |  Clickfool 01/04/08
      153.   #137 labarse of arabia and more whimsy 10:26  |  v hardman 01/04/08
      154.   Labarse in `Ireland` tells Jimmy he doesn`t know his country 10:51  |  Labhras`s admirer 01/04/08
      155.   rm 10:52  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 01/04/08
      156.   Israel`s capital was always Jerusalem 10:53  |  x-ray 01/04/08
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