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Last update - 12:41 27/06/2008 PMO: Cabinet vote on Hezbollah prisoner swap may be delayed By Amos Harel, Barak Ravid, Avi Issacharoff and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies Tags: prisoner swap, Hezbollah  The cabinet will apparently not vote on the prisoner exchange deal with Hezbollah, aimed at securing the release of two kidnapped Israeli reservists in exchange for five Lebanese prisoners, including murderer Samir Kuntar. Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were captured in a cross-border raid by Hezbollah guerrillas in July 2006, sparking the Second Lebanon War. The cabinet will only discuss the deal, despite Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's public vow at the Knesset podium last week to achieve a decision on the matter. A senior official at the prime minister's office said Thursday that "the aim is to make a decision, but that may not be possible, because ministers will ask for more time to think, or because we may not have all the information before us." Advertisement Sunday's discussion will be the first time that the cabinet is meeting to discuss the matter, and Olmert has not made his position on the deal clear yet. However, two months ago Olmert promised the abducted soldiers' families that he would act to approve this deal in the cabinet. Ofer Regev, Eldad Regev's brother, told Haaretz that at a meeting in Olmert's bureau on April 28, the prime minister told the family that Israel was drafting a deal with Hezbollah. He showed them the draft, which is identical to the deal that Ofer Dekel, the official in charge of negotiations, will show the ministers on Sunday. Eldad Regev's father and brothers asked Olmert if the families would have to muster politicians' support for the deal. Olmert told them there was nothing to worry about and that everything was under control, Ofer Regev said. Olmert told the families: "I promise you that the deal will be approved, even if we have to use force," Ofer Regev said. Olmert repeated this at least three times, he said. Meanwhile, IDF Chief Rabbi Avichai Ronsky was still considering whether to declare officially that Regev and Goldwasser are dead, military sources said yesterday. The Mossad, Shin Bet and military intelligence all told Ronsky that they believed the two had been killed. However, the soldiers' families asked Olmert to stop the examination process and not to declare their sons dead. Olmert passed the request to the chief of staff, who told him that from the moment the process began, the chief military rabbi was completely independent to do as he sees fit. Related articles: IDF Chief: It is our duty to bring the hostages home Most ministers back Hezbollah prisoner swap Mother of missing soldier: Hezbollah will kidnap again if Kuntar not returned Bookmark to del.icio.us   A fateful week We shall see whether the truce will help bring Gilad Shalit home. Munich anticipated? A German professor says Israeli athletes willfully sacrificed themselves.   1.   Let`s trade 14:28  |  Chaim Gorenstein 27/06/08   2.   Trade only for tangible political gains 16:58  |  MARK KLEIN, M.D. 27/06/08   3.   Hey Olmert! Just give it up open all the border crossings let 23:12  |  Avram 27/06/08   4.   Olmert just let all the arabs in! No more checkpoints, no more 23:16  |  Avram 27/06/08   5.   #2 Isreal forgets - not that . . . 23:52  |  msh 27/06/08   6.   Foolish trades 05:14  |  howiej 28/06/08   7.   Enough extremism 05:15  |  Mike 28/06/08   8.   Hezbollah prisoner swap 08:38  |  Absolute Israel 28/06/08   9.   #7 What`s more important national security or two dead bodies? 01:44  |  DesMnsDave 29/06/08   10.   Foolish trades #6 you got it so right 12:07  |  isaac 29/06/08

Read & React German prof.: Israeli athletes willfully sacrificed themselves in Munich massacre Responses: 71 Olmert to ministers: Soldiers held by Hezbollah are dead Responses: 34 Harel and Issacharoff: Five myths about prisoner swaps Responses: 26 Former Israeli spymaster: Israel has one year to bomb Iran Responses: 48 Rosner's Domain Can Israel legaly attack Iran with nuclear weapons? Is Time's Joe Klein being honest when he criticizes Joe Lieberman? "The war in Iraq was inevitable" (WTR) Poll: exchange deal with Hezbollah, good or bad? Do Jews have special responsibility over Darfur? (WTR) More Headlines 15:00 Olmert to ministers: Support prisoner swap with Hezbollah 10:13 ANALYSIS / Five myths about prisoner swaps 12:24 Former Israeli spymaster: Israel has one year to bomb Iran 10:12 Report: Hamas rejects Israeli bid to free 450 prisoners for Shalit 12:32 Israel reopens Gaza crossings after closures over Qassams 14:10 Hamas won't recognize Abbas presidency past January 2009 14:07 Israeli film wins people's choice award at Moscow Film Festival 07:14 Bereaved father: Who will protect my sons once terrorists are released? 13:30 VIDEO: Amy Winehouse's explosive performance at Glastonbury 11:57 Court to debate Arab petition to nix preferential education benefits 12:46 Palestinians: Israeli troops kill teenager in West Bank 07:29 MKs prepare for bills making it harder to cede parts of Jerusalem 13:38 Kiryat Motzkin man suspected in mother's attempted mercy killing Previous Editions Select Day 27 jun 26 jun 25 jun 24 jun 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun

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