Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., July 27, 2008 Tamuz 24, 5768 | | Israel Time: 14:42 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Abducted IDF soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. (Archives)
Last update - 00:55 30/06/2008
Minister opposed to deal: Swap victory for Hezbollah
By Barak Ravid, Amos Harel, and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents, and AP
Tags: Eldad Regev, Prisoner Swap 

The three cabinet ministers who on Sunday voted against a prisoner exchange deal with Hezbollah, said that the swap was a victory for the Lebanon-based guerilla organization.

Earlier Sunday the cabinet approved the prisoner swap with Hezbollah in which two Israeli soldiers seized by the Lebanese guerilla group in 2006 and believed dead, would be returned, in exchange for Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar.

K
Advertisement
untar has been jailed in Israel since perpetrating a terror attack in Nahariya in 1979 during which four Israelis were brutally killed.

Twenty two ministers voted in favor of the agreement. Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim and Finance Minister Ronni Bar-On opposed.

"After Kuntar is released, who will prevent the release of Marwan Barghouti?" asked Bar-On after the cabinet session. Barghouti is Israel's most prominent Palestinian prisoner, who is serving five life sentences for spearheading a series of terror operations.

Bar-On added that "anyone who says that Samir Kuntar is not a bargaining chip in talks with Hezbollah on the topic of [missing Israeli airman] Ron Arad is wrong."

"A government promise was made to the Arad family, and it mustn't be broken," Bar-On continued, referring to Israel's ongoing efforts to obtain information on the fate of the Israel Air Force navigator who has not been seen since his plane went down over Lebanon in 1986.

Bar-On also voiced his opposition to the release of Palestinian prisoners in a prisoner exchange deal, saying that doing so would "give [Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan] Nasrallah patronage over the Palestinian cause as well, and that is dangerous in my view."

"In addition, [releasing Palestinian prisoners] would raise the ransom in the Shalit deal," Bar-On concluded, referring to an additional hostage, IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held captive in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants since June 2006. Talks are currently underway regarding a separate prisoner swap that would recover Shalit in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Friedmann said that "approving the deal sends a message of weakness," adding that "this is a terrible deal. The price is too high. We mustn't release Samir Kuntar because that would be an enormous victory for Hezbollah."

Boim said that "preventing terror is of the utmost importance - no less than that of returning the [abducted] soldiers." He also warned that Hezbollah would view the deal as a victory. "If Nasrallah rejoices, that will be burned into the Arab psyche," he said.

Boim also voiced his objection to the release of Kuntar, saying that "a lowly despicable terrorist, whose stock we elevated in 2004, will become a symbol. We mustn't underestimate symbols - they are the cause of rivers of bloodshed throughout human history."

Sunday's cabinet decision cleared the way for the German-mediated exchange with Hezbollah, possibly within days. Under the deal, Israel would free five Lebanese guerrillas, including Kuntar, who has been serving 4 life sentences in Israel since 1979, and repatriate the remains of around 10 slain border infiltrators.

Sources in Israel said the swap would probably take place by July 12, when Hezbollah is planning a victory ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the Second Lebanon War.

Earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert urged the cabinet ministers to vote in favor of the prisoner exchange deal, declaring for the first time that he knew for certain that the two reservists abducted by Hezbollah during a cross-border raid on July 12, 2006, are dead.

"There is a fundamental difference between the knowledge we have regarding the fate of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser and the fate of Ron Arad," Olmert said.

"For more than 20 years after Arad's disappearance, we have not had confirmed information on what happened to him," he said.

"The assumption all this time was that theses people were alive. Today we know for certain that there is no chance of that, and that knowledge must be the basis for today's decision," Olmert said during the debate.

Goldwasser's father, Shlomo, said he was not surprised by the declaration, but wanted proof the soldiers were dead.

"There have been assessments for a long time," he said. "But none of this matters because it is not fact. ... They were alive when they kidnapped and no one has provided us with evidence to the contrary."

Until the meeting, it had not been clear which way Olmert would vote on the deal. The proposal to release prisoners in exchange for bodies has come under fire by intelligence services and other officials.

Ministers were briefed by security service heads and by Ofer Dekel, the official appointed by Olmert to negotiate the release of the two reservists held by Hezbollah and Shalit, who has been held in Gaza since June 2006.

While the cabinet was initially expected to approve the deal, an official present at the meeting said Israel's intelligence chiefs were urging ministers to vote against the swap.

"The defense officials are not easing up and it seems some of the ministers will be convinced and oppose the deal," the official.

Opening the cabinet meeting Sunday, the prime minister said he had deliberated "deeply" on the proposed deal. "There is no doubt that today's discussion has special weight and is exceptionally sensitive in terms of its national and moral implications," he said. "My conclusions are not free of doubts and dilemmas."

Related articles:
  • Abducted soldier's wife: Sunday's cabinet vote may be last chance
  • 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  
     
    Former top spy speaks
    Ex-Mossad chief Halevy says a strike on Iran would affect Israel for 100 years.
    Trying Hitler
    Did a light sentence in a Munich trial pave the way for Hitler's rise to power?
      1.   clowns 05:13  |  rocket scientist 29/06/08
      2.   Bodies for bodies 05:52  |  Ain tachat ain 29/06/08
      3.   Olmert and Knesset are crazy. Kuntar is a child murderer 06:55  |  Ken Jurist 29/06/08
      4.   OLMERT & LIVNI WILL RELEASE TERRORIST BABY BUTCHERS 07:29  |  Rachel 29/06/08
      5.   Release of prisoners 08:39  |  KR 29/06/08
      6.   To Kin Jurist what About the Israeli child murderer 08:50  |  gus 29/06/08
      7.   Shame on Israel! 08:56  |  Eric 29/06/08
      8.   The Ultimate Galute Mentality! 09:07  |  Marvin I. Wolfe 29/06/08
      9.   Livni is playing games or is simply half a#s? 09:27  |  S 29/06/08
      10.   Kuntar, druze & child killer 09:40  |  ClearCut 29/06/08
      11.   Re S #8 09:57  |  Esther 29/06/08
      12.   Livni is correct - who negotiates without seeing the goods?! 10:11  |  redmike 29/06/08
      13.   gus #6 10:40  |  JewishHeart 29/06/08
      14.   Tar & Feather Kuntar & Hez Captives With The Same ... 10:43  |  Lavi 29/06/08
      15.   Israel will get a fair trade either way 10:46  |  Natallie Durson 29/06/08
      16.   redmike #12 She didn`t say "the correct thing". You did. 10:58  |  S 29/06/08
      17.   WE may soon know if Hesballa murdered these Israeli POW`s as well 11:06  |  PETER SM 29/06/08
      18.   Esther #11 11:22  |  S 29/06/08
      19.   1&2 are correct - live men for live men and dead men for dead 11:31  |  michelle 29/06/08
      20.   Kuntar and Co 11:37  |  Iceberg 29/06/08
      21.   @ rocket scientist 11:44  |  Ralph 29/06/08
      22.   How many clowns can fit in this car? 11:51  |  dyinglikeflies 29/06/08
      23.   Deal and dealers 11:58  |  chanan 29/06/08
      24.   clear cut 11:59  |  Connie 29/06/08
      25.   Live Terrorists For Dead Heroes - NO 12:08  |  Jonathan 29/06/08
      26.   Esther 12:09  |  Connie 29/06/08
      27.   Loveable Connie 12:25  |  FreeOne 29/06/08
      28.   Insane 12:39  |  Sidney 29/06/08
      29.   Re S #14 12:40  |  Esther 29/06/08
      30.   Why are the NGOs silent? Complicity? Incompetence? Racism? 12:52  |  Joe Sittizen 29/06/08
      31.   7 Eric 13:06  |  dvora 29/06/08
      32.   Don`t fret - nothing will come of this 13:39  |  Clickfool 29/06/08
      33.   Hezbollah has no reason to keep quiet about the kidnapped 13:43  |  Denise Thompson 29/06/08
      34.   NEVER NEGOTIATE WITH TERROR!!! 13:49  |  Ben Uziel 29/06/08
      35.   Connie - "clear cut " is our brother 13:55  |  arab 29/06/08
      36.   corps for corps,what about nassrallah? 14:12  |  kadima for nasrallah 29/06/08
      37.   Exchange only if our soldiers are alive 14:17  |  Boaz 29/06/08
      38.   Negotiations 14:35  |  j10 29/06/08
      39.   We will hang our heads in shame 15:05  |  K 29/06/08
      40.   Olmert again recommends giving something for nothing .. 15:08  |  redmike 29/06/08
      41.   Of Course They are Dead 15:12  |  Jane 29/06/08
      42.   Dead for the dead. Living for the living. 15:25  |  DE 29/06/08
      43.   Israel`s Rulers Profoundly EVIL if they Provide Islamics with 15:41  |  Linda Rivera 29/06/08
      44.   Exchange Conditions 15:46  |  ATLAS 29/06/08
      45.   Complete non-sense 15:47  |  Ulf 29/06/08
      46.   this is a great deal! 15:50  |  Leon Rosgarten 29/06/08
      47.   Why does Olmert call dead bodies "prisoners"? 15:58  |  17 29/06/08
      48.   LIVE for the LIVE... dead for the dead. 15:59  |  Dagma 29/06/08
      49.   #31 - Dvora 16:04  |  Eric 29/06/08
      50.   Whatrever Olmert thinks or believes is right...... 16:13  |  Dolly 29/06/08
      51.   Israel has a long history of negotiating with Terrorists... 16:14  |  POP 29/06/08
      52.   wonder 16:16  |  george dickens 29/06/08
      53.   So When Does The Cabinet Vote? 16:20  |  Jeff Northridge 29/06/08
      54.   the lebanes govrnment??? 16:21  |  issamghallab 29/06/08
      55.   Olmert had time to take a public opinion poll 16:23  |  Tosefta 29/06/08
      56.   Sends the wrong message. And doesn`t even begin to make sense. 16:31  |  This is not mercy 29/06/08
      57.   Not only will we hang our heads in shame #39 16:32  |  Strangelove 29/06/08
      58.   They are alive, although not worth it 16:33  |  Imad 29/06/08
      59.   # 41 Jane 16:37  |  Imad 29/06/08
      60.   Prisoner Swap 16:41  |  Scott G 29/06/08
      61.   Heartless narciss/charming manipulator = psychopath 16:46  |  17 29/06/08
      62.   Rachel in New York 16:48  |  Tony 29/06/08
      63.   Jonathon #25 16:52  |  Scott G 29/06/08
      64.   Mr issam 16:53  |  Free patriotic mvt 29/06/08
      65.   FreeOne 16:55  |  rich 29/06/08
      66.   So correct me 16:56  |  Fahim 29/06/08
      67.   What prisoner exchange? These are hostages for child mderer 17:02  |  Dan 29/06/08
      68.   what a mistake :( 17:02  |