Lowering expectations?
YNet reports in the name of the London Arabic daily Al Sharq Al Awsat that Israel is trying to lower the 'Palestinians' expectations of what they will get for kidnapped IDF corporal Gilad Shalit. The newspaper quoted a Palestinian source as saying Monday that Egyptian mediator Omar Suleiman informed Hamas representatives last week that Israel is refusing to release prisoners who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms and insists on not freeing those convicted of murdering soldiers or settlers.In other words, the 'Palestinians' see Israel's purported sudden display of spine as a tactic, and they know well that the Olmert-Barak-Livni-Yishai government will have a difficult - if not impossible - time saying no to just about any price for the living Shalit given what they plan to pay this week for the dead Goldwasser and Regev.
According to the report, Israel and Hamas previously had agreed that during the first stage of the prisoner swap 350 Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for Shalit's transfer to Egyptian custody. In the second phase an additional 100 prisoners will be freed upon the soldier's arrival in Israel, and 500 more Palestinians will be returned two months after Shalit's release.
The Palestinian source said Israel has also backed down from its agreement to release all of the female Palestinian prisoners and is particularly against freeing Amna Muna, who was charged and convicted for her involvement in the murder of 16-year-old Ofir Nahum in January 2001.
The source was quoted by Al-Awsat as saying that Hamas and Egypt fear Israel toughened its stance in order to "lower Hamas' expectations" ahead of the expected negotiations in Cairo. However, the source said, Hamas and Egypt believe Israel will eventfully agree to release all of the prisoners the Islamist group is demanding in exchange for Shalit.
What's worse - but probably should have been expected - is that the Egyptian 'mediator,' Omar Suleiman, is 'advising' Hamas to use Hezbullah's hostage negotiation tactics.
According to the Palestinian sources, Suleiman asked the Hamas representatives to learn from Hizbullah's experience in conducting negotiations with Israel and keep the details of the burgeoning prisoner swap deal confidential.And I'm sure that's not the only tactic they're using.
On the other hand, as long as this government is in power, the only 'tactic' they know is dhimmitude.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:58 PM
1 Comments:
The government's craven conduct makes a joke of the line in Israel's national anthem, "to be a free people in our land." How free really, is the Jew when he still pays the jizyah tax to his Muslim overlord? That is truly wretched!
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