IDF recommends freeing Fatah prisoners as gesture to Abbas
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's advisers vehemently oppose the idea, as do several members of his forum of eight senior ministers.
By Avi Issacharoff, Barak Ravid and Amos Harel Tags: Palestinians Palestinian state Mahmoud Abbas IDFIsrael should make a series of gestures to the Palestinian Authority to reduce the damage caused the PA by last week's deal for the return of Gilad Shalit, the Israel Defense Forces' General Staff believes. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's advisers vehemently oppose the idea, as do several members of his forum of eight senior ministers, arguing that PA President Mahmoud Abbas "should be punished" for his unilateral bid for UN recognition of a Palestinian state.
"We don't want the Palestinian Authority to collapse," one adviser said, "but if it happens, it won't be the end of the world."
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Released Palestinian prisoners flash the victory sign as they make their way through the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. |
| Photo by: AP |
Next month, the IDF will give the government a list of the gestures it recommends, including releasing additional Palestinian prisoners and perhaps transferring additional parts of the West Bank to Palestinian security control. The army considers this necessary to help Abbas regain the upper hand in his ongoing battle with Hamas for control of the territories, since Israel's intelligence agencies all concur that the Shalit deal, in which Hamas obtained the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one kidnapped soldier, bolstered the Islamic organization at the PA's expense.
One senior Israeli official told Haaretz that Abbas thinks the deal was deliberately intended to strengthen Hamas and weaken him, in order to punish him for his UN bid.
One of the IDF's proposals relates to the second stage of the Shalit deal, in which Israel will free another 550 prisoners of its own choosing. While the list has not yet been drawn up, it seems that most will be low-level terrorists belonging to Abbas' Fatah party, and the army deems the Fatah affiliation critical.
The army also proposes that Israel release additional prisoners beyond these 550 as a gesture to Abbas in honor of Id al-Adha, the Muslim holiday that falls in another two weeks.
Last-minute orders
Another proposal is to transfer part of what is known as Area B - areas of the West Bank that, according to the Oslo Accords, are under Palestinian civilian control but Israeli security control - to Area A, which is under full Palestinian control. Most of the territory the army favors transferring is in the northern West Bank, between Jenin, Nablus and Tul Karm, as this area has few Israeli settlements.
A fourth idea is returning the bodies of slain terrorists to the PA. That was supposed to have happened a few months ago, but was canceled at the last minute on orders from Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Senior PA officials have said in recent days that the principal gesture they want from Israel is the release of Fatah terrorists who have been imprisoned since before the 1993 Oslo Accords. They also said they have had several discussions with Israel recently about transferring additional territory to Area A, but all have gone nowhere.
In the past, Barak has voiced support for far-reaching gestures toward Abbas. But Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has consistently opposed the idea and Netanyahu is unenthusiastic. Thus, when the army proposed gestures to the PA in the run-up to last month's UN bid, with the goal of calming the atmosphere and preventing an explosion, the government rejected the proposal.
With the Shalit deal concluded, the IDF is hoping the government will be more amenable. But given Jerusalem's anger at Abbas' statehood bid, that seems doubtful.
The issue is further complicated by uncertainty over Abbas' intentions - a question on which both government officials and intelligence professionals are split. Some believe that Abbas has no interest in resuming negotiations with Israel, preferring to pursue his case at the UN and among the international community in the hope of forcing concessions on Israel. Members of this camp see no point in making any gestures to him.
The IDF, in contrast, thinks Israel must make substantial gestures to bolster Abbas. Minor steps - like dismantling unmanned roadblocks or releasing Palestinian prisoners convicted of crimes other than terrorism - won't suffice, it argues.
The senior Israeli official said the army's concerns were on full display at a briefing for Barak last week given by Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot, the coordinator of government activities in the territories. Dangot, he said, expressed great concern over the messages he has been getting from senior PA officials recently - namely, that Abbas is depressed and threatening to resign in light of the impasse in negotiations, the boost the Shalit deal gave Hamas and the fear that his UN bid will fail even without an American veto, given his difficulties in recruiting the necessary nine votes in the Security Council.
Over the last two weeks, the Israeli official said, several of Abbas' advisers, including his chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, have urged him to disband the PA and hand responsibility for the territories back to Israel. This has strengthened the army's view that gestures to bolster Abbas are needed.
Netanyahu's advisers, however, don't take Abbas' resignation threats seriously, noting that such threats tend to recur frequently. "There's nothing new in this," said one. "He threatens all the time."
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This story is by:
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Avi Issacharoff
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Barak Ravid
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Amos Harel
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Really folks point to any concessions he has made to israel such as sitting down and negotiating a lasting peace. Give him nothing. If the PA collapses so what they have had 20m years to do a peace and each time said No..No..No
It's time to ask Mr. Abbas for a gesture or two from him. Then & only then should we "consider" more gestures towards the Palestinians. Let Mr. Abbas meet us without "pre-conditions". Let Mr. Abbas say he will support Israel being a Jewish State! Maybe Mr. Abbas would like to say that Jewish people will be able to live in "Palestine" freely! It's time to stop spoiling the child who threatens to resign whenever he doesn't get more and more and yet even more! Come on Mr. Abbas -- Make a gesture to Israel!
Abbas will only be emboldened and push for even more gestures, should Israel make any gestures. Where are the Palestinian gestures?
According to Polls 80 percent of Women supported "Shalit Deal" 70 Percent of Men, But as soon as the "Breaking News" came thru the contraversity broke out. Zipi Livni was carefull not to join in till Sunday and I agree with her that there are many Open Questions that can not wait - Many of them should be discussed Publicy. Meantime Items like above "News" will continue to float around and confuse everybody. (Even Tony Blair for example)..
We should do nothing to support Abbas, instread we must give him nothing to show for his 'peaceful dilologue' and provokative none violance. The people of the West bank will feel that they have ticked, and repace Abbas with some vilolent thug too stupid to be tricked. Violence will resume, and Bibi can claim "He has no partner for Peace in the West Bank".
Destroy Abbas, Destroy Peace! Reward Hamas? Any day if it can be used to destroy Abbas, destroy Peace. The REAL reason for the Shalit deal is made clear. Netanyahu could have paid the price any time since taking office. He chose to pay the price because of the threat of Peace. Has Israel become a death cult of endless war like Hamas? Netanyahu has embraced Hamas, not peace.
Unfortunately, it is becoming clear to see, even to the blind, that Netanyahu, his advisors, and some of this senior ministers want to weaken Fatah and strengthen Hamas. They want Abbas/Fatah to crumble so they can say more convincingly that we have no peace partner. Though the IDF is not exactly a dovish organization, we'd probably be better off if the IDF ran the country and made the decisions.
Don't you worry,Israel. Abbas & his people will never be satisfied.They'll always,cry,scream,& demand,more,& more.
Brothers and sisters, we must progress. Release and trasnfer and move on to better things. We owe a better legacy to our children and grandchildren.
We need to take small politics out of the IDF and put some sense in its place.
condelleza rice in her new book makes it perfectly clear that olmert had made a an extraordinary offer to abbas which he refused to accept.
Israel need not bolster the defunct PLO. The PLO cannot offer Israel peace or anything positive for that matter. Meanwhile, There are thousands of Arab terrorist loose throughout Eastern Israel and Gaza. Israel must focus on capturing these terrorist if peace is to have a chance, and not what criminals to free to bolster other criminals.
AVI Did senior PA officials really say that the principal gesture they want from Israel is the release of Fatah terrorists . They used the term terrorists???? com'on
We also need Ardugan back.We don't want important leaders to go to Iran.Common sense.
And the shin-beth, and the mossad, what do they recommend on this? It would be good that THEY would suggest the same.
Hasn't he done enough damage already???????????????? Invite more snakes into our bed???
... it's like keeping-them-for-a-rainy-day... something unhuman about the whole issue...
That, Esther, is unhuman. Jonathan Pollard in jail for 25 plus years is unhuman. Killers in jail should be glad they haven't been executed.
Abbas shoulf br punished by his own people, for wasting their limited cash touring the world for a bid which would fail anyway. This guy is so useless.
And the majority of them (other than Hamas) seem to be pretty much in favour.
The Army should not have a say in political matters.
This is not a political matter, it is a security matter. Would you agree that politicians have no say in security matters? Of course not, not when they overlap each other. Army makes their recommendations and politicians make final decision.
Then who else do you think should advise on security matters. An this is all about security in the end.
But at the End the Politicians should Make the Policy's and Decision's.
Israel needs to stop worrying so much about the possibility of Abbas/Fatah losing to Hamas within Palestinian influence. While on the short term this seems like it would destabilize things even more, ask yourself this? If Hamas were to hypothetically take over rule of the entire Palestinian population, do you REALLY think the rest of the world would continue supporting existing channels of financial aid, statehood recognition, or other things? Should the Palestinian people allow Hamas to gain more power, this would translate later on (in the long term) as the largest self inflicted wound that a collective of people put on themselves. If Hamas rules all of "Palestine" there would BE NO Palestine. Terrorist Organizations don't qualify for statehood, Hamas assumine entire control over all Palestinians would automatically disqualify them for nearly 90% of any of the aid and assistance they receive at this point. If Abbas loses power so be it, it's the Palestinians illogical moves which brought them here, and should Hamas take over everything, it would translate into the EXACT OPPOSITE of any so called "Arab Spring" effort they could have ever attempted. If they let Hamas rein, it would spell the end, for them, and they will have to live with their own illogical choices. That's all.
ARE THE ISRAELIS MAD. ABBAS IS NO MODERATE. HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE EVERY JEW KILLED. REALLY EVEN THE THOUGHT OF GIVING FREEDOM TO THESE PRISONERS MAKES WONDER IF THE LEADERSHIP SHOULD BE SENT TO THE ASYLUM.
Freeing anymore prisoners (merely for political posturing), will not only make a mockery out of the Israeli justice system, but it further encourages a "something for nothing" attitude with the Palestinian leadership. If Abbas is losing relevancy, you don't reward it by releasing more convicted felons. Granted Abbas is the lesser of two evils (between him an Hamas) but you have to remember you're dealing with people who yet to have ever recognize Israel as a Jewish country. You pulled out of Gaza entirely and you got rockets launched at you, and abductions. You put a moratorium on settlement construction for a year, and you got in return Abbas grooming his big theatrical appearance at the UN for unilateral state recognition. So now you're going to reward NOTHING on their part, with MORE pardons of convicts? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
That would be counterproductive to its agenda
What have the "moderates" done for peace in the last 10 years ? Nothing !! Those moderates are much more extreme than any Israeli government have ever been. Would they have been moderate, at least like those you call "extreme" it is years that there would have been Peace in the area. Think of it, and stop using double standard.
Hamas is rewarded for a kidnapping. But Abbas who goes the peaceful way needs to be punished. Something's not right with that attitude
The Palestinian Authority could well dissolve. THe UN bid in a way was a "go for broke initiative", and was certaintly a stress test which forced nations to claerly state their support or otherwise for a Palestinian State. Peace negotiations are a farce, everyone knows this. A one state for both Jews and Palestinians is inevitable. A Jewish State is about as viable as an Islamic state in the modern era. Both types of religious states will be short lived as they belong to a different era, and are not compatable with a true democracy. Nations which are truley democratic separated church and state a long time ago.
best piece of literature I ever read about this conflict. He explaines pretty well how the idea of one state with equal rights for Jews, Moslems and Christians came up and how it was opposed much more than any terrorist ever was. Even Ahmed Jassin was supported massively to fight these freaks who threatened Israle with their non-violent ideas full of logic and justice..
I bought a hat and two t-shirts from your store and I am really happy. I am an American and I have been receiving a lot of flack because of my stance. Someday, I hope to visit Israel and I also know the National Anthem :) Shalom!!
That's revealing.
The PA ought to be dismantled immediately, it has no sovereignty of its own, it even has no authority. It is a kind of collaborationist regime that is at Israel's beck and call. It is a kind of a Palestinian Judenrat. (a Jewish council answerable to the Nazis). the only solution is therefore to annex the territories and treat all inhabitants, Jews and Arabs, as equal citizens. Apartheid is unacdeptable nor is any other form of fascism. The alternative is to have open-ended conflict which would end with Israel's gradual destruction. Remember, this is the Middle East, and soon Israel will find itself surrounded by 700 Muslims. The Arab Spring spells Israel's hell. Don't listen to the lunatics of Gush Emunim, they simply don't know what they are talking about.
Muslims have a higher birth-rate than everyone else, it would not take long for the Jewish people to be outnumbered. Show me a country with a Muslim majority that respects the rights of women and minorities. That's right, there isn't one...
The PLO deserves to be punished, not rewarded for their illegal acts at the UN the past month. This was a slap to the face of Israel and an abrogation of ALL previous agreements. Israel should only free common criminals and not those with blood on their hands. We already freed enough murderers.
You seems to reward force and conflict over diplomacy and peace...
But funny. Israeli leaders have a very dangerous mentality that will explode on them. The Palestinians are neighbors you have a disagreement with. Did they come from somewhere else? Did the Palestinians come from Italy to harass Israelis?
but is it not time to stop demonizing Israelis ALL THE TIME ? No ..the Palestinians did not come from Italy the same way the Hebrews did not originate from Poland, or Russia, or Germany, or Spain. Palestinian Arabs have been harassing Palestinian Jews since the turn of the 20th century. So ease up on the Israelis and put some pressure on the Palestinians as well.
Israel is always ready to "punish" the Palestinians for attempting to put their own interests before Israel's interests, as Abbas is seeking to do with the statehood bid. Normally Israel would "ounish" him rather than "reward" him without even giving it any though. The problem is that Hamas is on the ascent after the Shalit affair and Israel needs to bolster Abbas to counter balance this effect. What the Knesset is wrangling about now is to seek a method to punish both Hamas and Abbas. This is the topic much loved in the Knesset. Punishing Palestinians. Sadly, in the case, Israel cannot punish both factions at once. Either Abbas or Hamas must be rewarded.
"terrorist, terrorist, terrorists" what a complete joke, WHO ISN'T a terrorist to you guys? Jeesh....
... it pains me to watch them shoot themselves in the foot again and again.