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Last update - 19:55 18/04/2008 Hamas: Shalit won't 'see light' until Palestinian prisoners freed By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press Tags: Israel, Eli Yishai  A senior Hamas official on Friday said abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit "will not see the light" until Palestinian prisoners are released in a prisoner exchange. "Gilad [Shalit] will not see the light, will not see his mother, will not see his father, God willing, as long as our heroic prisoners do not see their families, in their houses," Mushir al-Masri said in a speech Friday. Shalit was kidnapped during a raid on an IDF army post near Gaza in the summer of 2006, and is being held in the coastal strip. Advertisement Egyptian-led talks over a prisoner swap have been bogged down. Hamas has demanded the release of hundreds of prisoners. Israel has agreed to release some inmates, but has balked at some of those on Hamas' list. Highlighting the importance of the prisoner issue to the Palestinian national agenda, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a rival to Hamas, said in televised speech on Thursday that a release of all Palestinian prisoners must be part of any peace deal with Israel. Yishai to Carter: Tell Hamas chief I want to discuss prisoner swap On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai asked former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to tell Hamas leaders, including Khaled Meshal, that he would like to meet in order to expedite a prisoner exchange that would bring Shalit home. Yishai relayed his message to Carter during a meeting on Monday. The meeting was held at the request of the former president, who wanted to meet with Israeli political leaders from across the political spectrum. The meeting was arranged through the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. Yishai's bureau said he did not ask Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for permission to hold the meeting, nor did he tell Olmert what he discussed. Yishai said other Israeli officials erred in boycotting Carter. During the meeting, he told Carter that he opposed the former president's use of the term "apartheid" in his book about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Yishai said Carter told him that the interpretation of his use of the word was fundamentally wrong. Yishai told Haaretz that in order to redeem prisoners, he was prepared to meet with anyone who could help move things ahead, including Hamas leaders. He said this did not contradict Israeli government policy, since he did not intend to discuss diplomatic issues or a cease-fire. After Carter visited Sderot this week, he pledged to help arrange a cease-fire. Carter also met with Shalit's parents, and said he would address Shalit's release when he spoke to Meshal. Shalit was kidnapped during a raid on an Israeli army post near Gaza in the summer of 2006, and is being held in the coastal strip. "I am ready to meet with all necessary Hamas members and with Shalit's captors, and I would be pleased if you can help," Yishai told Carter at their meeting on Monday. "I am volunteering myself for the task, and I ask you to convey a message: They also have prisoners and I am sure they want to see them released, and therefore it is proper to expedite the negotiations." Yishai thanked Carter for his willingness to assist in finding out the fate of missing soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, whose kidnapping in 2006, days after Shalit's, sparked the Second Lebanon War. Carter promised to pass along the message and to meet with Yishai again when he returns to Israel next week, after visiting other countries in the region. Yishai opposes negotiating with the Palestinian leadership, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, over a permanent-status arrangement, especially regarding Jerusalem. A source in Shas said Thursday that if talks with Hamas led to calm, especially around the Gaza Strip, this could lessen pressure to reach a final-status agreement, which could lead to a coalition crisis with Shas. Yishai placed his request as Israeli and American officials were protesting Carter's intention to meet with Meshal, the leader of an organization that Israel and the United States consider a terror group. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert did not make time to meet with Carter, and Haaretz has learned that after the press mentioned Carter's plan to meet Meshal, Defense Minister Ehud Barak cancelled a meeting that had been scheduled for Monday. Barak's bureau said the meeting had been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. Carter told Haaretz this week that before he arrived in the region, his staff informed the U.S. government of all the meetings he had planned for his Middle East visit, including the meeting with Meshal. Carter said that until his plans became public knowledge, no U.S. officials objected to them. Related articles: Noam Shalit: The fact that Carter isn't pro-Israel may be beneficial Lieberman to Carter: Meeting Meshal will only heighten terror Carter meets Hamas official, calls for group to be included in peace talks Bookmark to del.icio.us   Undressed to impress Yeshiva student strips in a supermarket to protest sale of chametz during Passover. Ante up Hamas offers truce in return for a Palestinian state along Israel's pre-1967 borders.   1.   Remarkable miscalculation by Israel 16:34  |  Natallie Durson 18/04/08   2.   Curious how Carter.... 16:39  |  Avrum 18/04/08   3.   Remarkable miscalculation by hamas 17:40  |  peter 18/04/08   4.   Israel is Wise to Palestinian Lies of Peace 17:41  |  Zev 18/04/08   5.   natalie 17:51  |  ernie 18/04/08   6.   Nothing will change until israel releases the Hamas 17:54  |  lakshmi 18/04/08   7.   response to number 2 Avrum 18:09  |  Dish It Out 18/04/08   8.   10.000 VS 1 18:35  |  indrajaya 18/04/08   9.   10 Indrajaya,quite right and we know how the 11,000 20:00  |  lakshmi 18/04/08   10.   #8 Indrayaja I doubt Shalit is still alive. 20:06  |  Robert/Montreal 18/04/08   11.   #7 what did you expect from "the good ol boy "? 20:10  |  Robert/Montreal 18/04/08   12.   israel must release them all,,,,,, 20:18  |  alan 18/04/08   13.   Mafia style behavior 21:02  |  Scharker Yid 18/04/08   14.   #1, Durson 21:28  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/04/08   15.   #10 - Cipora, very well said. 01:04  |  JP 19/04/08   16.   #15, JP 01:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/04/08   17.   Something does not add up 03:39  |  Calculator 19/04/08   18.   jp 15 01:45  |  potobac 22/04/08

Read & React Meshal offers 10-year truce for Palestinian state on '67 borders Responses: 400 Gideon Levy: Hamas and Israel - how different are they? Responses: 119 Jewish ex-aide to Bill Clinton accuses U.S. of pro-Israel bias Responses: 127 Hamas vows 'harsh' attacks on Israel, says previous attacks were 'practice' Responses: 157 Rosner's Domain Fight Hamas, not AIPAC (WTR) The Passover test and The Passion of Passover Just say no to Carter Poll: What is Carter doing in the Middle East? Clinton: Massive retaliation if Israel attacked (WTR) More Headlines 02:32 Italy joins EU drive for more Iran sanctions 04:10 Israel awaits Hamas cease-fire proposal as Carter wraps up trip 02:58 Israel to compensate family of British filmmaker killed by IDF 02:55 Shas MKs slam their party head's push to meet Meshal 04:16 Battling over hearts and minds with Hasidic songs and live performances 01:49 ANALYSIS: Nothing new under the sun for Meshal and Hamas 21:52 Rights group: Israel allows fewer Gaza cancer patients to enter 01:31 IDF strikes kill three gunmen in northern Gaza 19:34 El Al announces 6.5% ticket price hike due to higher oil costs 23:42 Carter: U.S. would not stand in way of Israel-Syria peace deal 01:15 IDF commander axed for not confronting militants in fuel depot attack Previous Editions Select Day 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 11 apr 10 apr 09 apr 08 apr

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