News
Prisoner release in question without PA agreement to extend talks
Israeli leaders, including lead negotiator and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, have suggested that an expected fourth scheduled Palestinian prisoner release may not go ahead later this month, unless the Palestinian Authority (PA) agrees to extend peace talks.
Israel has already released three groups of Palestinian prisoners serving long sentences for involvement in terror attacks, as part of an overall release of 104 Palestinian prisoners, which Israel agreed in July to pave the way for the resumption of peace talks. A fourth and final group are slated for release on 29 March. However, it comes as US Secretary of State John Kerry is attempting to secure agreement from both sides for a framework plan to extend negotiations beyond the current deadline at the end of April.
As yet, the PA has yet to indicate that it is willing to extend the talks. Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat described a meeting this week between PA President Mahmoud Abbas and US President Barack Obama, in which Obama encouraged Abbas to accept the plan, as “candid” and “difficult.” He emphasised that the PA would not recognise Israel’s character as the nation state of the Jewish people, which Israel’s government views as a crucial foundation to future peace talks.
Yesterday, Tzipi Livni indicated that further Palestinian prisoners will be released only if the PA agrees to continue talks. She told a conference in Sderot that there was never an “automatic commitment to release prisoners unrelated to making progress in negotiations.” She added that “the keys to the prison doors are in the hands of Abu Mazen [Abbas] and the decisions he will take in the coming days.” Meanwhile, Likud’s Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar told Army Radio that “there is no reason to release this group of terrorists when the Palestinian leadership declares its intention is to blow up the negotiations.” Similar opinions have also been voiced by Jewish Home leader and Economy minister Naftali Bennett, whose party opposed the initial decision to release prisoners.