BICOM

Details emerged yesterday of a potential three-way deal which could secure the extension of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) beyond their end of April deadline.

The agreement, as widely reported, would see Israel release an additional 400 Palestinian prisoners on top of those who were scheduled for release on Saturday night, including some Arab citizens of Israel. Apparently, Israel also agreed to some restrictions on West Bank construction. For their part, the PA would agree to continue peace talks until the end of 2014. Crucially, the United States had reportedly consented to the release of convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, who was sentenced in 1987, having been caught in 1985.

The possibility of Pollard’s release is a crucial component of the deal, acting as a powerful prospect which right-wing members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government would find hard to resist.  Although they vehemently oppose further prisoner releases or restrictions on construction, they typically regard Pollard’s case as a cause celebre. Pollard was a civilian intelligence analyst for the US Navy when he was recruited by Israeli agents in the 1980s. The unusual longevity of his imprisonment has led to some Israeli leaders to call for Pollard’s release; a cause also championed by Senator John McCain, former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz and former CIA director James Woolsey.

However, it remains unclear whether Pollard’s possible release would lead to support for the deal from those naturally opposed to it. Hawkish Likud Deputy Defence Minister Danny Danon called the involvement of Pollard’s fate in negotiations a “cynical attempt … to justify releasing murderers who will return to terror.” Meanwhile, Likud’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin and Coalition Chairman Yariv Levin have both called prisoner releases and settlement restrictions a “red line.” However, representatives of centrist coalition member Yesh Atid have according to Ynet commented that although they would prefer a settlement freeze over a prisoner release, they will vote in favour of the proposed deal.

There are reports in Israel that Pollard himself opposes the deal which links his release to the release of convicted Palestinian prisoners. Pollard is eligible for parole in late 2015.