Israel to Release Prisoners, Announce More Building Next Week

October 25, 2013

2 min read

Prisoner Release

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:7)

Prisoner Release
Israel is set to release the next batch of prisoners next week despite a number of incidents that seemed to put the peace process in jeopardy. (Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

In a move that is being contested by large swaths of the right-wing bloc of the Knesset, Israel is set to release the second installment of prisoners agreed upon at the start of the peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority some time next week, according to the Jerusalem Post. Officials clarified that it would also announce more building projects soon in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem.

While the release has yet to be confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office, right-wing politicians have already began to vocally oppose the upcoming action. The Bayit Yehudi Party plans to attempt to pass a bill on Sunday at the Ministerial Committee for Legislation that would block future prisoner releases, according to the office of its party leader, Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett.

Settlement construction and prisoner released were reportedly issues discussed between Prime Minister Netanyahu and US Secratary of State John Kerry during their marathon meeting in Rome on Wednesday. Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz also discussed the negotiations with US Vice President Joseph Biden when the two men met in Washington on Thursday.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has held meetings with European leaders this week to urge them to act against continued Jewish building over the pre-1967 lines, which he has told them threatens the peace process.

But Israeli officials clarified that it was clear to the United States and the Palestinians that Israel would continue to announce new building in the settlement blocs and Jewish neighborhoods of east Jerusalem during the nine-month negotiating period.

Israel has also recently provided the United States with examples of Palestinian incitement, including a youth magazine published under the auspices of the PA that praised Adolf Hitler, as well as a teacher who spoke of Palestine as spanning from the sea to the Jordan River.

Senior members of the Bayit Yehudi Party said it was cynical and immoral for Netanyahu to link the release of Palestinian prisoners involved in terror attacks against Israelis with settlement building. They added that under these circumstances it would be better to refrain from building.

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