MINISTER OF PRISONERS' AFFAIRS: PRIORITIZING

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002416

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2017
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF PRISONERS' AFFAIRS: PRIORITIZING
PRISONERS FOR RELEASE

REF: A. JERUSALEM 02205


B. JERUSALEM 02156

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


1. (C) Summary. Following PM Olmert's November 19
announcement that the GOI had approved the release of 441
Palestinian prisoners, PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs
(MoPA) Ashraf al-Ajrami told the press that the release was
based on GOI criteria without consultation with the PA.
According to Al-Ajrami, pre-Oslo prisoners, prisoners with
critical medical conditions, minors, and women are the PA's
priority for release. Only the release of several thousand
prisoners, including well-known political leaders and those
in administrative detentions, will demonstrate GOI
seriousness to the Palestinian public, according to
Al-Ajrami. End Summary.

Criteria for Prisoners' Release
--------------


2. (C) After PM Olmert announced on November 19 the release
of 441 Palestinian prisoners, PA Minister of Prisoners'
Affairs (MoPA) Ashraf al-Ajrami criticized the GOI for
releasing prisoners based on its own criteria and without
consulting the PA. He said that the list of 441 includes
those sentenced for 12 years or more and does not demonstrate
seriousness by the GOI. Al-Ajrami said in a November 14
meeting with PolChief that releasing several thousand
prisoners -- not several hundred -- is necessary to signal
GOI seriousness to the Palestinian public. He said recent,
unilateral prisoners' releases do not demonstrate GOI
seriousness. Al-Ajrami said the PA's priority order for
releasing prisoners is first, the 350 pre-Oslo prisoners;
second, the 50 with critical medical conditions; third,
minors serving long sentences; and fourth, the 90 women.
Releasing prisoners based on these criteria and in this
order, said al-Ajrami, would increase popular support for PA
President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and the negotiations.
Al-Ajrami added that releasing key political leaders who
support the PA, including Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, and
the approximately 8,000 Palestinian prisoners in
administrative detention would also bolster Abu Mazen's
support.

GOI Restrictions on Prisoners:
Transfer of Money
--------------


3. (C) Al-Ajrami said his dialogue with the Israeli Prison
Service (IPS) does not address the release of prisoners, only
prison conditions, and in recent months, IPS rules have
become stricter, including on the transfer of money to
Palestinian criminal and security prisoners. Al-Ajrami said
that the Israeli anti-terrorism finance law governs money
transfers to prisons, but stressed, "we don't understand how
we violate this law by permitting prisoners to buy food from
IPS-owned canteens in IPS prisons." According to al-Ajrami,
the IPS suggested the MoPA transfer money to families of
Palestinian prisoners in the West Bank and families bring the
cash to prisoners during visits. Al-Ajrami said most
families cannot obtain permits to visit Israeli prisons.
Previously, the MoPA transferred money only to security
prisoners (not criminals) and could send unlimited sums of
money through the Israeli post to faction leaders who
distributed funds. Al-Ajrami proposed that such money
transfers continue or that the MoPA pay IPS canteen suppliers
directly. Al-Ajrami added that tension is mounting among
prisoners as a result of new restrictions. The IPS met
Ketziot prisoners' minor demands after the October 22
incident, he said, but the core problems, like inadequate
food supplies and a lack of medical treatment, remain the
same.
WALLES