Deal for Shalit almost done?
Meeting with 'American Jewish leaders' on Monday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that a deal for the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit had only one issue left to resolve: Israel's insistence that certain prisoners be expelled from Judea and Samaria. According to Channel 10, the Egyptian leader, on his first visit to Washington in five years, said that prisoner swap talks had reached the same point they had got to with former prime minister Ehud Olmert. Mubarak said that his impression was that a deal could be concluded with Hamas once the contentious issue of banning Palestinian prisoners from returning to the West Bank is solved.In other words, don't expect this to happen anytime soon.
Israel is opposed to allowing certain prisoners from the West Bank to return to the territory after they are released in a possible swap deal for security reasons.
By the way, don't expect any normalization gestures from 'our friends the Egyptians' (annual price tag = $2 billion) either. They say they won't do anything until after a 'just and comprehensive peace' is attained.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:28 PM
1 Comments:
The Arab idea of talks with Israel is for Israel to give up all its cards first and then the Arabs may show Israel some good will. They have a funny way of doing business with Israel. Pay now... get something later, maybe. Its an affront to Israel's intelligence.
I would not make a deal for Shalit on that basis or any other kind of deal with the Arabs.
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