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Last update - 15:29 29/06/2008
Poll: 63% of Israelis back release of Samir Kuntar for IDF soldiers
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Ehud Goldwasser, Smadar Haran 

A special Haaretz "Dialogue" poll reveals that 63 percent of those polled believe that Lebanese Terrorist Samir Kuntar, currently serving four life sentences in Israel, should be released in exchange for two Israel Defense Forces soldiers held captive by Hezbollah.

The poll, supervised by Tel Aviv University Professor Camille Fuchs, also showed that 21 percent of poll participants were against releasing Kuntar, while 16 percent were unsure.

Kuntar was convicted of participating in the 1979 terror attack in Naharyia in which two members of the Haran family were killed, as well as two Israeli policemen.
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Smadar Haran, the sole survivor of the 1979 attack said she hopes reports of hostage negotiations with Hezbollah that would include the release of Kuntar are true, "and not just spin for the media that will cause heartache for the hostages' families."

Recent reports have suggested that a prisoner exchange agreement is nearing fruition between Israel and Hezbollah. The Lebanon-based militant group kidnapped IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in July 2006, sparking the 34-day Second Lebanon War. The reported deal would see Kuntar and four other Lebanese militants released, as well as the remains of ten Hezbollah fighters held by Israel, in exchange for Eldad and Regev.

Haran's husband, Danny, and their 4-year-old daughter were murdered. Their 2-year-old daughter also died of suffocation when her mother tried to keep her quiet in their hiding place.

Haran prefers to say little on this matter, explaining that all of the preoccupation with it is causing her great suffering. But Tuesday morning she decided to grant an interview to Army Radio, prompted by a feeling that the captives' families have been hurled into a maelstrom of "meat market" talk about the price to be paid for their release.

"I was horrified to see on one of the television channels that they were asking viewers to send a text message on whether to free Kuntar, like a reality show or 'A Star is Born,'" she told Haaretz in a brief telephone conversation from her Nahariya home. "I felt we were getting sucked into the meat market. That's how I feel, both in terms of the terminology and the manner of approach, and I cannot cooperate with that."

Kuntar's fate, she added, is a matter for the state to decide. "The murderer Kuntar is not my personal prisoner, he is a prisoner of the State of Israel. Decisions concerning him should be made according to the best interests of the state."

Danny Haran's brother, Roni Keren, told Haaretz on Monday that he is against releasing Kuntar, since Israel would forfeit its only remaining bargaining chip for obtaining information about Ron Arad.

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      1.   What a misleading headline: released in return for what? 18:14  |  AA 28/05/08
      2.   And how many supported and continue to support Oslo accords? 18:15  |  Jon 28/05/08
      3.   Maybe they should hear the account.. 18:16  |  Allon 28/05/08
      4.   How many of these Israelis know what he actually did? Read 18:17  |  AA 28/05/08
      5.   kuntar 18:28  |  bar piotre 28/05/08
      6.   The IDF sheds no tears over killing civilians 19:06  |  Natallie Durson 28/05/08
      7.   good one Natallie!!! 19:19  |  Lebanese 28/05/08
      8.   # 5 Kuntar is a mad dog, and should have been dead 20+ years.. 19:34  |  misha 28/05/08
      9.   What percentage of victims` family members approve his release? 19:35  |  dyinglikeflies 28/05/08
      10.   WHATS GOING ON......... 19:45  |  hayimshmuel 28/05/08
      11.   Are you all crazy? 20:22  |  msh 28/05/08
      12.   No freeing terrorists if our boys are not alive 20:27  |  Barry 28/05/08
      13.   Durson: The English didn`t mourn the Germans 20:30  |  Ilan 28/05/08
      14.   Natallie Cheers Civilian Deaths 20:31  |  JP 28/05/08
      15.   Kuntar and Haaretz poll 20:33  |  Connie 28/05/08
      16.   Read HIm NOW. To a Grave! 20:45  |  Nachum 28/05/08
      17.   Natalie - suicide in the name of peace 20:51  |  Ariel 28/05/08
      18.   What Israelis - those of the left wing/secular camp 20:52  |  Kol Haam 28/05/08
      19.   misleading poll 21:19  |  joki 28/05/08
      20.   How Israels supporters react to criticism 21:26  |  Natallie Durson 28/05/08
      21.   #6 durson - oh please 21:39  |  Adrian de Klerk 28/05/08
      22.   late but acceptable!!!!!!! 22:00  |  Pheneas 28/05/08
      23.   late but acceptable!!!!!!! 22:00  |  Pheneas 28/05/08
      24.   What a crock 22:08  |  Gee 28/05/08
      25.   If the soliders are dead, Israel should send Kuntar back 22:20  |  a 28/05/08
      26.   Lebanese - Natallie is not from LA unless she has nothing 22:22  |  a 28/05/08
      27.   #21 Perfect 22:27  |  Bklyn 28/05/08
      28.   100% of israelis are castrated in front of Iran 22:36  |  Aounist 28/05/08
      29.   Natallie and Lebanese#6,7 - there is a reason you guys are called 22:36  |  William 28/05/08
      30.   The Way Natallie Durson Reacts To Criticism 22:39  |  JP 28/05/08
      31.   Let`s be clear on this, Kuntar is still........... 22:53  |  Deborah 28/05/08
      32.   #20 Natallie Durson 22:56  |  Deborah 28/05/08
      33.   If you can trade garbage for something good you do it. 23:27  |  MIKE 28/05/08
      34.   Durson #6 and AA #4 23:30  |  Colin Wright 28/05/08
      35.   This Natalie guy... just ignore him! 23:34  |  msh 28/05/08
      36.   #31/#32 Deborah, Let Us Be Clear, Indeed... 23:34  |  JP 28/05/08
      37.   the Durson and Deborah trolls 23:36  |  peter 28/05/08
      38.   Who did they ask? 23:38  |  Antony 28/05/08
      39.   #28 - Auonist - Methinks You Doth Project Too Much 23:44  |  JP 28/05/08
      40.   #37 - peter - Muchas Gracias! 00:10  |  JP 29/05/08
      41.   For Natalie 00:50  |  Yakov 29/05/08
      42.   Polls, policy, morality and international law part I 01:07  |  Clicksage 29/05/08
      43.   Polls, policy, morality and international law part 2 01:13  |  Clicksage 29/05/08
      44.   Polls, policy, morality and international law part 3 01:23  |  Clicksage 29/05/08
      45.   Polls, policy, morality and international law part 4 01:32  |  Clicksage 29/05/08
      46.   First it must be established if they are alive 04:23  |  Free Gilad Shalit 29/05/08
      47.   The 63% that approve of Kuntar`s release 04:58  |  * BEN JABO 29/05/08
      48.   Arabs murder Jews on purpose then celebrate. 20:33  |  Palestiniansareamyth 29/05/08
      49.   Only one condition 07:33  |  Miche norman 03/06/08
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