Shalit deal may be near, but nobody's talking
Military censor imposes near absolute blackout on any details pertaining to possible prisoner swap.
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff Tags: Gilad Shalit Israel newsThere are telling signs out there: Al-Arabiya reports that Hamas sources say a deal on kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit will be reached in a few days. Fox, the American network, says that Hamas has presented a new list of prisoners it is asking to be released in exchange for Shalit.
President Shimon Peres mentioned "significant progress" in negotiations, and Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi warned that any media reports on the talks may endanger then. The activists calling for Shalit's release have been asked to "tone down" their activity.
Ayman Taha, a senior Hamas figure, confirmed on Sunday that a delegation in Cairo will meet with Egyptian intelligence officials and probably the German mediator, too. In response to a question by Haaretz as to whether the deal can be concluded by Id al-Adha on Friday, Taha was careful: "God willing ... things are moving." Notwithstanding the caution, this is the most optimism Hamas leaders have ever expressed when it comes to reports that a deal is near.
Moreover, the fact that the Egyptians are now letting Hamas leaders enter the country - after barring them following their refusal to sign the reconciliation agreement with Fatah that Cairo had prepared - is in and of itself a positive development.
Another positive development is Saturday's announcement by Fathi Hamad, Hamas' interior minister, that rocket fire on Israel would end, following a deal among the various Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip. It is doubtful that the timing of the announcement is coincidental. Hamas needs quiet, because it does not want a local incident to torpedo a deal.
In Israel, the theory is that because the government is more right-wing, it will be more difficult for the prime minister to gain approval for freeing prisoners. This is not necessarily the case. If a deal is brought before the cabinet for approval, it means Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is backing it. Support from Defense Minister Ehud Barak is guaranteed, and has been since his days in the government of Ehud Olmert. Shas will follow its spiritual leader Ovadia Yosef, who backs concessions for prisoner releases. Mossad chief Meir Dagan and Shin Bet boss Yuval Diskin probably will oppose the move, but Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi probably will back it.
What is unusual in this instance is the role of military censorship: Compared to previous times, there is a near absolute blackout. The censor, Colonel Sima Vaknin-Gil, says that preventing detailed reporting is not directed at public opinion, and is merely to allow the negotiations to continue unhindered.
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Abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. |
| Photo by: (Reuters) |
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Let's be quiet until the deal is done! The Right (Sharon and his buddies) expell(ed) Jews from their land why wouldn't they agree to a deal and release at least a thousand terrorists? Don't understand me wrong, I also believe that you need to do everything in order to secure Gilad's release - but what will happen to the rest of our boys and girls that serve in the IDF? Will be able to keep them safe????
Shallits suffering, and the thousands of Palestinian victims doesn't add up to good politics or business or moral sense. Israeli terror victims will be wounded again by the release of hundreds of terrorists. But Israel has daily replenished it's supply of Palestinian wanted suspects, so the merrygoround of kidnapping, arresting, bombing and teerror will continue. Who gained what? Better for all sides to clean the slate and start negotiating. better for everyone to have peace.
If we are trading terrorists for a body again, it will be the end of a lot of people's careers and the Israeli public will go mad! So far, most of the Israel public at least cares about the Palestinians situation. If we are get suckered into trading more live prisoners for a dead one, then the Palestinians will lose a great deal of sympathy and it won't be won back in this generation.
if you were about to release a hundred possible terrorists with a high chance of reverting back to terrorism, killing civilians and kidnapping more soldiers, wouldn't you want to hide the details of the negotiations? Free Shalit, but don't endanger the future of other civilians and soliders to do it.
The politicians have used Gilad Shalit and his family so often they must feel like used kleenex or worse. At least the censorship has shut the politicians up so they cannot use the family or Shalit for a political football or anything else. The Shalit family's pessimism is proper. They've been lead down this path too many times and too many last minute details have derailed an exchange in the past.
Regarding those '10 000 palestinians illegally imprisoned by israel'.... at least it is known whether they are alive. Gilad Shalit has been held hostage for over 3 years already, and all that has been heard from him is one letter and one 2-3 minute video. Contrary to international law, he has been denied access to the red cross. Up until recently, Hamas did not even provide concrete proof that he is even still alive. I don't think the case of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel is at all similar to Gilad Shalit's situation...
about 10,000 Palestinians illegally imprisoned by Israel either