WarSclerotic

Israeli-Palestinian talks shaping up over next prisoner release, Jerusalem Post, March 11, 2014

Netanyahu to urge Cameron to pressure Palestinians to show more flexibility; Kerry considers final prisoner release to be a barometer on progress of negotiations, says State Department official.

Palestinians waiting at the Erez crossing for the release of prisoners from Israel. Photo: REUTERS

Israel and the Palestinians are keying up for a major battle over the coming two weeks regarding whether Israeli Arabs will be included in the next Palestinian prisoner release, scheduled for March 28.

Palestinian officials have said in recent days that they expect Israel to release some Israeli Arabs in the final batch of 26 prisoners to be released. Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, however, made clear on Tuesday that all five Israel Beytenu cabinet ministers would vote against releasing Israeli Arabs convicted of terrorism if the idea came to the cabinet for a vote.

Under the framework agreement last July that led to the current Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Israel was to release 104 convicted terrorists in four stages. Israel has already released 78 prisoners, with one final tranche left to go.

When the cabinet voted 13-7 with two abstentions in July to release the terrorists in order to move into the negotiations, there was a stipulation that while a committee of five ministers would be empowered to come up with the names for each batch, if Israeli Arabs were on the list it would have to come back to the cabinet for its full approval.

Liberman’s announcement Tuesday will make the likelihood of this passing the cabinet more difficult. The full cabinet does not, however, have to vote again on the next release if no Arab Israelis are among those to be freed.

Israeli officials have said in recent weeks that although the Palestinians are pressing Israel to include Israeli Arabs, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyhau did not specifically commit himself to do so back in July. This position is supported in Washington. Six Israeli Arabs were let go in the Gilad Schalit prisoner release.

Israel radio on Monday quoted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as saying recently in private meetings that if Israel does not go through with the final prisoner release it would constitute an abrogation of the framework agreement.

Voices have been raised recently, including that of Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin, saying that Israel should not go through with the final tranche unless the Palestinians commit themselves to continue negotiation with Israel past the April 29 deadline for the talks.

A State Department official told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that US Secretary of State John Kerry considers the final prisoner release to be a barometer on the progress of the negotiations.

If the cabinet fails to support the release, the fate of the peace process will likely be in jeopardy, the US official asserted. The US is preparing for that eventuality, but notes that the release is part of a deal already forged– not contingent upon future agreement.

US officials have been told by their Israeli counterparts that the last release of prisoners, including some of the most heinous actors, would reap few returns given the dilapidated state of the talks.

Kerry is being strict with the parties, the official added, in demanding they reach a framework for the continuation of negotiations within the original nine-month timeframe.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Told the Likud Beytenu faction that after recent Palestinian statements, “a deal is getting further away because of the Palestinians. They said this week that they will never recognize a Jewish state or give up the right of return. I won’t bring deal that doesn’t cancel the right of return and doesn’t involve the Palestinians recognizing a Jewish state. These are just fundamental conditions. The Palestinians aren’t showing any sign of willingness to reach a practical and fair deal.”

Netanyahu was referring to a speech Abbas gave last Thursday in Ramallah in which he said, “We shall never agree to recognize the Jewish state,” and that the “five million Palestinian refugees and their offspring” will have the option of “returning” to Israel and “holding Israeli citizenship.”

Abbas is scheduled to meet US President Barack Obama in the White House on Monday.

One Israeli official said there is concern in Jerusalem that Abbas’ stiff position is an effort to “tie his own hands before he meets Obama, and then go in and say that his hands are tied. This has been standard Palestinian operating procedure.”

Netanyahu is expected to raise this issue with British Prime Minister David Cameron, arriving Wednesday for a 30-hour visit, and to impress upon him the need for the Europeans to pressure the Palestinians to, as one official said, “change their current behavior.” “The Europeans have a role,” the official said. “If the Palestinians feel that their intransigence is costless, then what motivation do they have to change their intransigence. And here the Europeans have the ability to play a more effective role, if the they desire to do so.

In addition to meeting Netanyahu on Wednesday, Cameron – on his first visit to Israel since becoming prime minister in 2010 – is scheduled to meet President Shimon Peres, address the Knesset, and visit Yad Vashem. He will travel to Bethlehem and met Abbas on Thursday.

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