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Last update - 12:32 20/06/2008 Families of abducted soldiers to tell Barak: Swap prisoners with Hezbollah By Jack Khoury Tags: Hezbollah, Israel  The families of abducted soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev will meet Friday with Defense Minister Ehud Barak to demand a prisoner exchange deal with Hezbollah. On Sunday, the families will meet with the other cabinet ministers, who also may need to ratify the deal. "I am not taking any chances," Ehud Goldwasser's mother, Miki, said Thursday when asked if she thinks a prisoner swap may not be approved. Miki Goldwasser demands a prisoner swap with Hezbollah even if that means releasing Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar. Goldwasser told Haaretz yesterday that she cannot imagine the government or cabinet not approving a deal. Advertisement Goldwasser wrote to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert late Wednesday night after meeting with the coordinator of the prisoner exchange, Ofer Dekel. "Sir, I have had a very difficult day and cannot concentrate," she wrote. "However, I could not try to sleep without writing this letter. I know I have a lot of arguments still to formulate, but time races and I do not know when the righteous cabinet will discuss my son's life." Goldwasser commented on the abducted soldiers' fate: "Their health situation cannot be verified. Even the head of the Mossad had to admit he is relying on hearsay." She wrote in the letter that forensic reports and reenactments indicate that Ehud was severely wounded in the attack, but added that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said the organization had ambulances waiting for the injured soldiers. Hezbollah is known to have advanced medical equipment and specialist doctors, "but moreover, Nasrallah announced that his people abducted living soldiers." Goldwasser reminded Olmert of Hezi Shai, kidnapped in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in 1982 and returned in 1985. "For a year and half, no one knew anything about Shai. They told his wife to sit Shiva, but she refused. Hezi came back alive and well." Goldwasser also mentioned the likelihood of releasing Lebanese prisoners in the deal, including Kuntar, who murdered the Haran family in 1979. She said she had heard that some generals opposed returning Kuntar for the abducted soldiers. "And I ask: How dare they oppose? They were partners to the failures that enabled the kidnapping," she said. Goldwasser also criticized the state for not releasing Kuntar sooner. "On the claim that if Kuntar is returned, more will be kidnapped in the future, I can only say that had he been returned in the [Elhanan] Tennenbaum deal, you would not be reading my letter today," she said. "On the other hand, if he is not released, there will be more abductions, maybe even Israeli civilians traveling abroad. Nasrallah is determined to bring back Kuntar at any price." Related articles: Head of Lebanese terrorist's village: We're preparing for Kuntar's homecoming Sunday Mother of missing soldier: Hezbollah will kidnap again if Kuntar not returned ANALYSIS / Nasrallah preparing for Kuntar's homecoming Bookmark to del.icio.us   Sarkozy's promise 'France will never compromise Israel's security' Israel's agenda Is an Israeli strike on Iran still on the government's agenda?   1.   I pray for all the families 10:07  |  gus 23/06/08

Read & React Shmuel Rosner: Why do U.S. non-Jews back Israel? Responses: 34 Amir Oren: Israel may conclude that it's time to hit Iran by autumn Responses: 2 Report: Israel to free 1,000 prisoners in exchange for Shalit Responses: 18 Sarkozy: There won't be Middle East peace without Syria talks Responses: 27 Haaretz.com TV: East J'lem Arabs pay taxes, lack running water Responses: 4 More Headlines 08:12 Hezbollah deal delayed over demand to include Palestinian prisoners 08:15 Report: Israel to free 1,000 prisoners in exchange for Shalit 10:55 ANALYSIS / Prisoner deals - emotions vs. security sensibilities 08:18 Sarkozy: There won't be Middle East peace without Syria talks 09:09 Why do non-Jewish Americans support Israel? 10:53 Frustrated and losing hope, Shalit's parents fight Gaza cease-fire 09:11 What are 300 Anglican clergy doing in Jerusalem? 10:33 Taxi cab overturns on West Bank road, killing 2 Palestinians 19:19 Panel: Germany gave Israel NIS 61.5 billion, Holocaust survivors got about half 01:46 Barak ignores Olmert threat, vows Labor will vote to dissolve Knesset 03:11 Route 66 victims paid with their lives for lack of NIS 9-million lane divider 08:52 Family of teen murder suspect defends him; classmates saw 'toy criminal' Previous Editions Select Day 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun 10 jun 09 jun

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