HOW LONG WILL WE LET SYRIA BE THE STUMBLING BLOCK?:

Sides work on extending cease-fire to West Bank (Herb Keinon, 11/27/06, THE JERUSALEM POST)

Both Olmert's and Abbas's staffs were exploring ways to expand the agreement to include the West Bank, government officials said. They added that it was easier to deal with the Palestinians on this issue than on the release of Shalit, because the decision to free Shalit needed the approval of Hamas's Damascus-based leader Khaled Mashaal, while cease-fire issues needed PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's okay.

According to these officials, since Haniyeh lives in Gaza and is in touch with the daily plight of the people there, he was more apt to want to take actions that could alter the difficult situation on the ground.

Officials in the Prime Minister's Office said Olmert's decision to directly address the Palestinian people and say he would release numerous Palestinian prisoners, "including ones who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms," was meant to go over Mashaal's head and tell the Palestinians that Mashaal was the obstacle standing in the way of a reunion with their relatives.

"I hereby declare that when Gilad Shalit is released and returned to his family, safe and sound, the government of Israel will be willing to release numerous Palestinian prisoners - including ones who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms - to increase the trust between us and prove that our hand is truly extended in genuine peace," Olmert said.

"I said it before Gilad Shalit was abducted, and I have not changed my position," he added. "I know that many Palestinian families yearn for the day when their loved ones will return home. This day could be very close."

The unstated subtext, a senior official in the Prime Minister's Office said, was that Mashaal was keeping this from happening.

The official also said Olmert would be willing to release a large amount of prisoners, "larger than they probably think."

Rather than blowing up flunkies in the territories, Israel ought to reach out and touch the leadership of the Ba'ath, Hamas, etc., in Damascus.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 28, 2006 12:04 AM