Israel mulls releasing Barghouti
Channel 10 television reports Jerusalem considering releasing Palestinian uprising leader ahead of prisoner swap with Hamas in effort to bolster Abbas' fatah faction
ReutersIsrael is exploring the option of releasing Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouti to bolster President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction ahead of any prisoner swap with Hamas, Israeli television said on Sunday.
Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is trying to negotiate a last-minute deal with Hamas under which Israel would release 1,000 or more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
To help Fatah, one idea under discussion was the possibility of releasing Barghouti ahead of the prisoner swap with Hamas, according to Israel's Channel 10 television. An Israeli source told Reuters this option was under consideration but that no decisions have been taken.
"There will not be a Shalit deal without the release of Marwan Barghouti," Barghouti's lawyer, Hader Shkirat, told Israel's Channel 10 television.
"The deal is closer than ever. We think and hope it will be very, very soon, perhaps in a few days."
Barghouti is seen as a possible successor to Abbas, whose secular Fatah faction lost to Hamas in a 2006 election and was routed from the Gaza Strip in a June 2007 civil war between the Palestinian rivals. Barghouti was sentenced to five life terms by an Israeli court.
Call me old fashion but as far as I can see Barghouti's lawyer Hader Shkirat is a terrorist and not a lawyer. How dare he threaten the State of Israel by telling us that Shalit would remain a hostage as long as a terrorist murdering thug Barghouti stays in prison.
Shkirat should be at the very least arrested and tried for treason if he is an Israeli Arab and for terrorism if he is a Palestinian, but better yet he should have a traffic accident and be put out of the business of making threats against the Jewish State and it's citizens.
