Officials to consult Arad family before next phase of exchange

Should it turn out that Ron Arad was murdered by his captors and his family insist that it does not want living terrorists released in exchange for his remains, the government will consult with the missing Israel Air Force navigator's family before taking further action.

With such a commitment by Israeli security officials, should Arad's relatives adopt an unyielding position, implementation of the second phase of the prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hezbollah could be jeopardized.

The Arad family has not articulated publicly its position regarding the prisoner exchange. But sources indicate that before her death, the navigator's mother strongly opposed the release of terrorists in exchange for Arad's remains. The sources said the Arad family is angry about the exchange deal and the decision to release Mustafa Dirani, the Amal leader who reportedly held Arad captive and later delivered him to the Iranians.

Should the family publicly oppose an exchange of terrorists for Arad's remains, the government would be faced with a dilemma. Formally, the family's opposition would not prevent the release of terrorist Samir Kuntar, who murdered three members of a Nahariya family, because the deal stipulates that delivery of "concrete proof" about Arad's fate would require Kuntar's release.

Nonetheless, the promise to consult with the Arad family in the event that the navigator is not alive could complicate implementation of the second phase of the deal with Hezbollah.

In his Sunday speech, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah attempted to clear Iran of all responsibility for Arad's fate. Nasrallah has suddenly made public what he has known for some time - that Arad's fate was settled in Lebanon, not Iran.