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Last update - 21:11 23/06/2008 High Court rejects Shalit family bid to keep Gaza crossings shut By Tomer Zarchin and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, and Haaretz Service Tags: Israel, Hamas, Gilad Shalit  The High Court of Justice on Monday rejected a legal bid the parents of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to keep the Gaza-Israel crossings closed. The family was seeking to halt the reopening of the crossings on the grounds that the release of their son was not part of last week's cease-fire agremment with Gaza rulers Hamas. Defense officials said in advance of the ruling that they believed the court would opt not to interfer with the government's plans. Advertisement Upon reviewing the petition Sunday, the court ordered the state to keep the border crossings to Gaza closed until noon Monday. The temporary injunction was issued to give the government time to clarify the terms of the Gaza cease-fire. The petition - filed against the State of Israel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak - asked the High Court to instruct the government to explain why the truce between Israel and Hamas was not conditioned on Shalit's release. Since Shalit's abduction in June 2006, his parents have met many times with government and security officials, including six times with Olmert and three with Barak. According to the petition, during these meetings the Shalit family was promised that any cease-fire agreement would include Gilad's release. Gilad's parents said that keeping the crossings closed was Israel's only means of pressuring Hamas to release their son, and that Israel should have held on to the option of opening the crossings as its only effective bargaining chip vis-a-vis Hamas in talks for Shalit's release. The court also instructed the cabinet Sunday to brief Shalit's parents and tell them how the talks have progressed so far, and why the government believes it should open the crossings without first securing Shalit's release. On Sunday night, Amos Gilad, who is handling talks for Shalit's release as head of the Defense Ministry's political department, met with the Shalits to tell them Israel would not cede any leverage on Hamas by opening the crossings, and that the move would "improve the atmosphere" between the two sides. It would thus benefit efforts to bring home the corporal. Olmert is scheduled to discuss the matter with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak later this week. Olmert is expected to travel to Cairo for the meeting along with Ofer Dekel, the government's chief coordinator for prisoner deals. In his review of the post-cease-fire situation at the weekly cabinet meeting, Yuval Diskin, head of the Shin Bet security service, said the price Hamas is demanding for Shalit is not expected to drop following Israel's cease-fire agreement with the organization. Diskin told the ministers that "Hamas does not regard the deal for Shalit's release as part of the truce." Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann criticized the current deal, calling the fact that opening the crossings is not conditioned on Shalit's release "systemic lunacy." Defense Minister Barak said efforts to win Shalit's release might fare better during a period of quiet than during fighting, but said at the cabinet meeting that making concessions to Hamas, such as opening the borders, was not likely to be the move that brings him home. "Those who think we can bring about Shalit's release by opening or closing the crossings are harboring illusions," he said. (Barak Ravid contributed to this article. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Justice for Jews London summit focuses on plight of Jewish refugees from Arab states. No place like home Poll: 77% of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country.   1.   Shalit family is misguided 12:44  |  Natallie Durson 23/06/08   2.   So far so good; Israel should appoint Noam as chief negotiator 13:30  |  Pervert 23/06/08   3.   So far so good; Israel should appoint Noam as chief negotiator 13:31  |  Pervert 23/06/08   4.   Yeah, ..........and Nutty is well..... Nutty 13:40  |  Genuine Tosefta 23/06/08   5.   Egypt opened 50 times the Rafah crossing this year . 14:19  |  Joseph.E 23/06/08   6.   price for shalit is clear - palestinian prisoners 14:21  |  bk 23/06/08   7.   SYSTEMATIC LUNACY IS TO OPEN CROSSING TO MURDER MORE JEWS 16:00  |  Alon Chiloni 23/06/08   8.   #1: They`re parents 16:08  |  Paul Freedman 23/06/08   9.   Government is misguided 16:42  |  Shosh 23/06/08   10.   shallit 16:44  |  Shmuelshachor 23/06/08   11.   When will we get the news on the courts ruling? 18:08  |  ??? 23/06/08   12.   Gnattalie`s Family Should Have Aborted 18:16  |  Tex 23/06/08   13.   1,000 humans are dead because of this boy 19:12  |  Marilyn 23/06/08   14.   SHALIT HAS MORE GUTS THAN OLDMERDE 19:39  |  dav zee 23/06/08   15.   His family has learned that media pressure has an effect 20:20  |  Aphemia 23/06/08   16.   bk #6 20:49  |  michael 23/06/08   17.   your son is not prisoner by hamas movement and this is his place. 20:52  |  david 23/06/08   18.   this was the only sensible thing to rule 21:08  |  rm 23/06/08   19.   Re: #13 Marilyn 21:30  |  Guy 23/06/08   20.   I am glad the court has rejected this bid. 21:52  |  Deborah 23/06/08   21.   #9, Shosh... 22:26  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   22.   #13, Marilyn 23:18  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/06/08   23.   # 22 CJK 23:54  |  Axel 23/06/08   24.   Day 6 - Major Violation in Gaza 00:06  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/06/08   25.   5 Joseph E - Meanwhile IDF Breaking Cease-Fire 00:12  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/06/08   26.   Duh! Egypty secured the deal 00:19  |  Paul 24/06/08   27.   And you are correct 00:22  |  Paul 24/06/08   28.   Funny thing is! 00:24  |  Paul 24/06/08   29.   parents cry, yet shalit is a soldier 01:02  |  sam i am 24/06/08   30.   This should be a warning to all dual Israeli citizenship holders. 02:32  |  Maureen Ann 24/06/08   31.   Shalit Sold Out for Cheap 13:13  |  Baruch Gold 24/06/08   32.   THE HIGH COURTS IN THE US/ISRAEL ARE CORRUPT TO HIGH HEAVEN WITH 16:34  |  glenna 24/06/08

Read & React Editorial: We must pay the high price for the return of Gilad Shalit Responses: 75 Truce tensely holding after mortar fire, 2 W. Bank Jihad men killed Responses: 88 Israel monitoring French nuclear deals with Arab world Responses: 35 Poll: 77% of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country Responses: 185 Court rejects Kahane men's bid to ban J'lem Gay Pride parade Responses: 40 Rosner's Domain New Guest: Israel should've continued blockade of Gaza Al Hura not working? Tell me something I don't know (WTR) Why do non-Jewish Americans support Israel? Poll: exchange deal with Hezbollah, good or bad? Will we see a record number of Jewish lawmakers? (2) More Headlines 16:44 Gaza truce shaken as four Qassams slam into west Negev 16:42 Israel's spymasters concluded 3 weeks ago that troops held by Hezbollah are dead 14:49 Egypt: Gaza crossing will remain shut until Shalit deal reached 11:11 ANALYSIS / Olmert's maneuvers are last gasps of dying man 14:30 Netanyahu to Nicolas Sarkozy: Jerusalem will never be divided 12:07 Arab World nuclear race / Who has what, and from where 04:16 Jewish Agency launches plan to attract Western hi-tech engineers 16:31 Lawyers ask Spanish court to charge 4 alleged ex-guards at Nazi camps 13:49 Fischer: Battle with inflation, recession may have negative effects soon 16:21 Ahmadinejad urges punishment for world powers sanctioning Iran 08:39 German conference seeks to bolster Palestinian police, courts 06:39 Beijing 2008 / Israel sending 38 athletes to Olympics 12:39 Despite recent case, Israelis never excelled as mercenaries Previous Editions Select Day 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun 10 jun

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