Israel Matzav

For once we should be happy the 'political echelon' is in charge

You may recall that until recently, it was the 'security services' - the IDF, the Mossad and the General Security Service (Shabak) that opposed the mass release of terrorists in exchange for Israel's soldier/hostage. Now, in the aftermath of the terrorists for Gilad trade, the IDF is recommending a series of 'unilateral gestures' to the 'Palestinian Authority' in order to strengthen its 'President' whose term ended nearly three years ago. Fortunately, the 'political echelon' is resisting the idea (except for defenseless Defense Minister Ehud Barak) (Hat Tip: Gershon D).

Israel should make a series of gestures to the Palestinian Authority to reduce the damage caused the PA by last week's deal for the return of Gilad Shalit, the Israel Defense Forces' General Staff believes. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's advisers vehemently oppose the idea, as do several members of his forum of eight senior ministers, arguing that PA President Mahmoud Abbas "should be punished" for his unilateral bid for UN recognition of a Palestinian state.

"We don't want the Palestinian Authority to collapse," one adviser said, "but if it happens, it won't be the end of the world."

Next month, the IDF will give the government a list of the gestures it recommends, including releasing additional Palestinian prisoners and perhaps transferring additional parts of the West Bank to Palestinian security control. The army considers this necessary to help Abbas regain the upper hand in his ongoing battle with Hamas for control of the territories, since Israel's intelligence agencies all concur that the Shalit deal, in which Hamas obtained the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one kidnapped soldier, bolstered the Islamic organization at the PA's expense.

One senior Israeli official told Haaretz that Abbas thinks the deal was deliberately intended to strengthen Hamas and weaken him, in order to punish him for his UN bid.

Read the whole thing. As angry as everyone here is over Abu Bluff's effort to circumvent negotiations with Israel, the terrorists for Gilad trade was not about the 'Palestinian Authority.' We should not have to pay him off just to make things 'even.'

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, gestures, Hamas, Palestinian Authority, terrorists for Gilad trade, unilateral concessions

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:53 PM