PA to demand Barghouti release as part of renewed negotiations with Israel

[vminfla]

The Palestinian Authority is set to demand that the Quartet pressure Israel to release prisoners in fulfillment of a pledge made by former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, senior Palestinian sources told Haaretz on Monday.

Among the prisoners The PA wants released are Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat. The former is a member of the Fatah leadership, while Saadat is Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).


Abbas told Time Magazine a few days ago that, in 2008, Olmert promised him that Israel would release prisoners to the PA if a deal went through for the release of Gilad Shalit.

Erekat said this was not to be a condition for restarting negotiations, "just as the freezing of construction in the settlements is not a condition." Rather, it was a matter of fulfilling obligations, he said.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/pa-to-demand-barghouti-release-as-part-of-renewed-negotiations-with-israel-1.391806

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Talk about moving the goal post. Abbas is now demanding a mass murderer with clearly established ties to terrorism to be released before he comes up with another excuse to not negotiate.

[leftynyc]

1. Why would Israel do that now?

They got Shalit back already.

[azurnoir]

2. Olmert confirmed that he made that offer

no 'goal posts' have been moved Abbas is asking Israel to make good on its offer just as Obama continues to make good on Bush's multi-billion dollar 'aid' package to Israel

[vminfla]

3. Some felons are too dangerous to be released

Abbas should settle for the run-of-the-mill terrorists instead of the Osama Bin Laden-level masterminds.