Israel Matzav

No majority in cabinet for Pollard for terrorists exchange

'Moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen's refusal to condemn Monday's terror attack near Hebron (no, the attack itself was not enough) has resulted in Prime Minister Netanyahu 'losing' a cabinet majority for the exchange of more than 400 'Palestinian' terrorists, including 'Israeli Arabs,' and a 'settlement freeze,'  for American hostage Jonathan Pollard and an extension of the 'talks.'

The deal had a majority among the 23 members of the cabinet, thanks to support from Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz, all of the Likud, five ministers from Yesh Atid, two from Hatnua and two from Yisrael Beytenu.

But Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch of Yisrael Beytenu surprised Netanyahu’s associates when he told Army Radio that he opposes extending the negotiations if Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas does not publicly condemn Monday’s terrorist attack that killed senior police officer Baruch Mizrachi.

...

“If Abu Mazen [Abbas] does not condemn the attack fiercely in Arabic, there is no point in continuing the talks,” said Aharonovitch, whose vote would be crucial to pass the deal.

Multiple Likud ministers are said to be wavering over whether to support the deal. A group of Likud mayors in Judea and Samaria wrote the party’s ministers on Thursday urging them to oppose the agreement.

“We call upon you to declare that more murderers and terrorists will not be freed and there will be no more talks with the Palestinian Authority, which has proven that it supports, organizes and funds terrorism,” the mayors wrote the ministers in a letter.

Bayit Yehudi chairman Naftali Bennett has threatened to remove his party from Netanyahu’s coalition if Israeli- Arab prisoners are released in the deal.

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman said he would vote against it but he would give Aharonovitch and Immigration and Absorption Minister Sofa Landver the right to vote in favor.

Hmmm.

Labels: Abu Mazen, Avigdor Lieberman, Binyamin Netanyahu, Jonathan Pollard, Middle East peace process, Naftali Bennett, Palestinian terrorism, Palestinian terrorists

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:20 AM