PA claims Israeli gov't has no objections to Barghouti's release

[Lithos]

The Israeli government has informed the Palestinian Authority that it has no objections to the release of jailed Fatah operative Marwan Barghouti, a senior PA official in Ramallah said over the weekend.

The official told The Jerusalem Post that Barghouti and several other prominent security prisoners could be released in the coming days or weeks. Barghouti is serving five life sentences for the murders of four Israelis and a Greek monk.

But an official in Jerusalem said Saturday night that "the release of Marwan Barghouti is simply not on the table today." The official also said that last week's release of 198 Palestinian detainees freed "was not the first prisoner release and will not be the last."

The question of an additional prisoner release will be one of the items on the agenda at talks in Jerusalem on Sunday between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=SimpleSite/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1219913202366

Interesting. The idea of additional releases is also commented on here with the notion that it is being done for appearances sake only.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1016574.html

[azurnoir]

1. Will Israel release Marwan Barghouti?

This is not the first maybe so-maybe no Israel has done on this, Barghouti may well be more importasnt than the 1,000 others that are mentioned as he may well be IMO one of the few Palestinian leaders that could sweep a new election from both Fatahs and Hamases current leaders and there for the best chance of a "relatively" peaceful removal of Hamas from power in Gaza.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. Yeah, I agree with you on that...

Let's hope he is released....

[Vegasaurus]

3. I'd be all for removal of Hamas

which has done nothing but incite violence and make the Palestinians live more miserable.

[LeftishBrit]

4. I hope he's released, and that he gives the Palestinians better leadership than they've had.

[Sezu]

5. I think a leader who has no terrorist past

would be FAR better. Surely one can be found.