Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu lobbies for Palestinian prisoner release

JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Saturday that he had promised to release 104 Palestinian prisoners in the coming months as part of a deal to restart U.S.-brokered peace talks.

He is expected to bring the issue for approval Sunday to his Cabinet, where some right-wing coalition members have already vowed to block the action. Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon, from Netanyahu’s own Likud Party, called the prisoner release “lunacy.”

Netanyahu said restarting talks with Palestinians is vital to Israel’s future.

“Prime ministers are occasionally required to make decisions that are contrary to public opinion, when the matter is one of importance to the state,” Netanyahu said Saturday evening in a public letter designed to shore up support.

A recent poll found 78% of Israeli Jews oppose releasing Palestinian prisoners even if the move takes place after talks resume and is contingent upon progress being made, according to Israel Today, a pro-Netanyahu newspaper.

Netanyahu had previously sworn not to accept any conditions before re-entering negotiations. A prisoner release was only one of the Palestinians’ demands. They are also seeking a halt to settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and demanding that border talks resume based on pre-1967 lines.

In his statement, Netanyahu said he rejected a settlement freeze as a precondition for talks. He stressed that the prisoner release would only come in stages after talks resume.

Each side is expected to send representatives to Washington on Tuesday. Netanyahu said he expected the talks to last at least nine months.

Many of the prisoners slated for release were convicted by Israel of terrorism more than 20 years ago. Palestinians say the prisoners were supposed to be released under previous agreements, but Israel refused.

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