PA lobbying blocked Shalit swap

[P F Tinmore]

PA lobbying blocked Shalit swap - The Palestine Papers - Al Jazeera English

 

[georgephillip]

"For almost five years, family members of the thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli jails have waited in the hope that they might be reunited with their loved ones as Israel and Hamas engaged in mediated negotiations on a deal to exchange Gilad Shalit, the single Israeli prisoner of war held in the Gaza Strip, for the freedom of Palestinian prisoners.

"But despite high expectations, the deal has never materialized. Analysis of secret minutes of meetings between top Israeli and Palestinian Authority (PA) officials revealed in The Palestine Papers shows that strenuous PA lobbying likely torpedoed the deal in mid-2008 with the result that far fewer Palestinian prisoners have been released by Israel.

"The PA officials were concerned that an Israeli deal with Hamas would further weaken the PA and its US-supported leader Mahmoud Abbas, who also heads the Fatah political faction, Hamas' main rival."

The Palestine Papers

If Israel recovers Shalit, what excuse will they find for the next assault on Gaza?

A Rachel Corrie sighting?

 

[P F Tinmore]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The family of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by resistance forces more than four years back, said failed negotiation efforts by Netanyahu were to blame for their son's continued detention.

Shalit's father Noam told Israeli Radio there ”enough talk and excuses” and demanded that Netanyahu see to their son's release.

The Shalit family marked Saturday 1,700 days of Gilad's capture by Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, and other Palestinian factions.

Shalit family blames Netanyahu for failed swap talks

 

[georgephillip]

"This revelation underscores the extent to which the PA was prepared to subordinate the immediate needs of Palestinians -- including prisoners and their families -- to the desperate battle with Hamas, of which they often spoke of with Israeli officials as a common enemy."

PA lobbying...

Maybe the revolution on display from Mogadishu to Madison can sweep away relics like Bibi and Abbas (and Obama)

I'm convinced we're seeing global class war breaking out all over the world. If it comes here in the form of FLUSHING several hundred Republican AND Democrat politicians from DC on the same damn day, we'll get all the Hope and Change we can handle.

And then some.