Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07JERUSALEM1489
2007-07-19 09:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jerusalem
Cable title:  

MIXED REACTION TO ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRISONERS RELEASE

Tags:  KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6978
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1489/01 2000930
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 190930Z JUL 07
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8404
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001489 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

OPS CENTER PASS TO THE SECRETARY'S PARTY, NEA FOR FRONT
OFFICE, NSC FOR WATERS/ABRAMS/SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2017
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM
SUBJECT: MIXED REACTION TO ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRISONERS RELEASE

Classified By: Consul General Jacob Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001489

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

OPS CENTER PASS TO THE SECRETARY'S PARTY, NEA FOR FRONT
OFFICE, NSC FOR WATERS/ABRAMS/SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2017
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM
SUBJECT: MIXED REACTION TO ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRISONERS RELEASE

Classified By: Consul General Jacob Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Begin Summary. The July 17 posting of the names of
256 Palestinian prisoners who are scheduled for early release
on July 20 generated mostly positive press coverage,
including front page photos of families celebrating the
anticipated release. The Q Ministry of Prisoners Affairs
welcomed the release of any prisoners, but criticized the
"unilateral" nature of the release and urged
Palestinian-Israeli negotiations on criteria for release.
Privately, Qadura Fares and Fadwa Barghouti told PolChief
that they want to see the release of those prisoners and the
release of prisoners from the pre-Oslo period serving long
sentences. Fadwa expressed disappointment with the "modest"
release and said the significance of the prisoner issue for
all Palestinians means the GoI must do more on this file to
support PM Fayyad. End Summary.

Public Reactions to the Release
--------------


2. (SBU) Local press led with headlines that the GoI
approved on July 17 256 Palestinian prisoners to be released
July 20. All three Palestinian dailies ran the complete
lists inside their pages and carried front page pictures of
families celebrating the anticipated releases. Local media
reports that the prisoners are West Bank residents who served
approximately two-thirds of their sentences and are not
directly responsible for Israeli deaths. According to the
media, 61 prisoners have served more than two-thirds of their
terms, 93 prisoners have served over half but less than
two-thirds of their sentences, and 102 prisoners have served
over a third but less than half of their sentences. The
media also reports that six of the 256 prisoners are women
and that most are Fatah or Fatah-affiliated with thQ
exception of PFLP member Abd al-Rahim Mallouh.


3. (SBU) PA Minister of Prisoners Affairs, Ashraf Ajrami
told al-Arabbiya that the release is "a unilateral Israeli
move," and that the PA did not participate in selecting the
list of prisoners. Ajrami said the PA requested a joint
Israeli-Palestinian Prisoners Committee meeting, but the
request was turned down. He added, however, that the PA
welcomes the release of any prisoners from Israeli jails and
hopes this move will trigger serious negotiations on the
release of all prisoners. Undersecretary for the Ministry of
Prisoners Affairs, Ziad Abu Ayn, also told the press that the
Ministry rejects the list of prisoners because it does not
meet the Palestinian criteria of releasing the oldest
prisoners first. He added that 64 Palestinian prisoners have
been in Israeli jails over 20 years and Said al-Ataba, who is
not on the release list, has been in jail for 31 years. Ayn
noted that the Israeli list includes prisoners who have been
in jail for one to eight years, that only one prisoner was
sentenced to 20 years (Muhannad Jarada from 1989-2009),and
that eight were due to be released in 2007.

Palestinian Prisoners' Release Advocates
--------------


4. (C) Qadura Fares, who chairs the Palestinian delegation
to the joint Israeli-Palestinian Prisoners Committee, told
PolChief July 18, "Unfortunately, Israel made the same
mistake as before by keeping its same policy on prisoners."
He said by not consulting the PA before compiling the names
of prisoners to be released, the GoI sent the message that it
is not serious about this issue. Fares welcomed the release
of any Palestinian prisoners, but criticized the "unilateral
nature" of the Israeli decision and said prisoners who have
been in jail for 20 plus years or who have medical problems
should be released.


5. (C) Fadwa BQghouti told PolChief July 18 that her
husband jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti is pleased when
any Palestinian prisoner is freed, but he does not see this
move as a major step forward. According to Fadwa, during
their July 17 visit, Marwan expressed frustration with the
list of prisoners to be released and said the release of
prisoners sentenced for long periods of time would be more
symboliQfor Palestinians and would demonstrate greater GoI
commitment to a political process and to PM Fayyad's
government. "We had higher expectations, so this step is
modest," said Fadwa. "If Israel was serious about releasing
prisoners with no blood on their hands, Israel would release
9,500 prisoners," she said. Fadwa added that the GoI should
develop more serious criteria as well as a timetable for the
release of prisoners. In order for PM Fayyad to receive
credit for the release, she said the GoI must release a
greater number of prisoners and also release prisoners from