Israel delays release of jailed Palestinians until after holidays
Officials say 90 prisoners will be freed after Sukkot since many government offices closed during holidays.
By The Associated Press Tags: prisoner exchangeIsrael's planned release of 90 Palestinian prisoners has been pushed back until early next week, Prisons Authority said Tuesday.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office had said earlier this week the release would likely take place on Wednesday. Officials cited technical reasons for the delay. The Jewish holiday of Sukkot begins on Wednesday, and many government offices will be closed.
In a statement, the Prisons Authority said the prisoners would be freed next Monday. They said the date had been coordinated with Palestinian authorities.
Olmert's Cabinet on Sunday approved the release, part of an Israeli effort to bolster Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in his rivalry with the Hamas militant group. In a similar gesture, Israel released about 250 prisoners in July.
Israel holds about 11,000 Palestinian prisoners and the releases are vital for winning over Palestinian public opinion as part of efforts between Olmert and Abbas to restore trust between the sides in talks ahead of a U.S.-sponsored peace conference in November.
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And that's in a country with only 6 million citizens! If Israel was going to release 90 Palestinians on Wednesday, why bother making them wait until next Monday? Not that 90 is many compared with how many are being held in Israeli jails...