Israel Matzav

Gadhafi wanted to negotiate peace with Israel in exchange for easing by NATO

Deputy Minister for Negev and Galilee Development Ayoub Kara (Likud) told the Jerusalem Post on Sunday that Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, oldest son of Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi, offered to sign a peace treaty with Israel and negotiate captive soldier Gilad Schalit's release in exchange for reduced pressure from NATO and Europe on Libya.

"Saif al-Islam and I have mutual acquaintances in Austria. Long before the whole mess in Libya, I asked them to talk to him about Gilad Schalit, because the Gaddafis are close with [Hamas leader Khaled] Mashaal," Kara said.

"About a month ago, he remembered me and told his friends that he would tell Mashaal to release Schalit, sign a treaty with Israel, and even give a speech in Jerusalem like [former Egyptian president Anwar] Sadat," the Druze minister explained. "I said that I would be willing to talk to him to help Gilad, and Saif al-Islam thought this would get rid of European and NATO pressure on Libya."

Kara received another message shortly afterwards that a meeting was arranged for him, as well as a Jewish Israeli and Jewish Austrian politician David Lazar with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in Libya. However, Kara was denied permission from Israeli authorities to travel to Libya, for security reasons.

"Lazar told me that Saif al-Islam said he would bring us Gilad," Kara said, "and he told me not to speak about the deal until it was authorized by [Libyan leader Muammar] Gaddafi."

"I said I would bring the deal to the government and let them decide what to do," he said, adding: "Since then, the situation in Libya has declined, and it's no longer relevant."

I wonder how long that would have lasted once the Gadhafis were back in power. And I cannot believe that Hamas would have let Shalit go to keep the Gadhafis in power.

Labels: Ayoub Kara, Gilad Shalit, Khaled Meshaal, Muammar Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam Gadhafi

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:55 AM