Palestinians displeased with Israel's latest release of prisoners
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 12/29/1999

The 15-year old boy got shoved with enthusiasm as he joined a few dozens of Palestinians marching through the streets of Gaza. "We are protesting the release of 34 Palestinian prisoners," the boy said. When asked again how would Palestinian protest the release of fellow Palestinians, he corrected his statement: "We are protesting the release of only 34 Palestinian prisoners."

Israel had released the 34 in part of what it called a goodwill gesture towards the Palestinians to mark the holy month of Ramadan. The Palestinians had expected that among those released would be prisoners who bear the occupied Jerusalem identity card. Israel so far has refused to release any of the Palestinians from East Jerusalem, claiming that their status was still to be determined in final arrangement talks with the Palestinians. Israeli Minister of Justice Yossi Beilin said he would consider granting clemency to six prisoners from occupied Jerusalem. His decision might come out in a few days but it would still fall short of satisfying dozens of Palestinian families from the city whose sons are incarcerated inside Israel.

In an official statement, the PNA condemned Israel for not adhering to an earlier understanding with regard to release of prisoners from East Jerusalem. PNA minister in charge of prisoners' affairs, Hisham Abdul Razeq, described the decision as being "strange and illogical." He complained that his ministry was kept in the dark and that it heard of the decision through the media and not from their Israeli counterpart. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the number of released prisoners was not enough and "did not meet what has been posed in the negotiations."

At a meeting he held earlier in the week with Oded Eran, the chief negotiator for Israel, Erekat extended the official PNA complaint. Among those released, there were at least 11 who have a few months left until they finish their terms, said Erekat. According to the Sharm El Sheikh agreement, said Erekat, the Palestinians and the Israelis should agree jointly on lists of prisoners that are slated for release from Israeli jails. "This time, Israel decided alone the group of prisoners to be released and as such has changed the standards for releasing prisoners," he said.

Meanwhile, Israel seems reluctant not to agree to any sort of modification of the map of the upcoming troop redeployment in the West Bank. Prime Minister Ehud Barak, his close aides said, has rejected any effort to change the percentage of the status of the land to be vacated by Israeli troops in part of the third phase withdrawal of Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. "We are ready to go ahead in the negotiations with the Palestinians as we pledged, and there will be progress if they want progress, but we cannot force them to take land in the West Bank," Barak told Israel radio this week. He added that he had met with PNA President Yasser Arafat two weeks ago and had made it clear to him that, "We are advancing on the Syrian track and there is no intention to infringe on the Palestinian track. But if Arafat does not want to get these lands of 5% then we will not force him to do so. I do not plan to hand him more than 5% which was decided by the government of Israel, and I hope Arafat will agree to have these areas."

Previous Stories:
  Phone call between Arafat and Barak; on treatment of prisoners   (12/28/1999)
  Israeli plan for protecting the housing settlements in Hebron   (12/27/1999)
  Arafat, Barak meet in secret   (12/22/1999)

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