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ISRAEL TODAY - February 4, 2005
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John Henry
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Feb 10, 2005 07:27 PST
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<font face="arial" size=2>ISRAEL TODAY - Friday, February 4, 2005 - 25
Shvat <br><br>
Prisoner dispute casts shadow over summit <br><br>
Palestinian officials have rejected Israel's planned release of 900
Palestinian prisoners, saying it's not enough. "It is not what we
want. It is not what our people want," said chief Palestinian
negotiator Saeb Erekat. "We want them to release those who spent
more than 20 years in jail." In fact, the Palestinians want all
7,000 prisoners in Israeli jails to be freed, but Israel says terrorists
with blood on their hands won't be released. Israel sees the release of
900 prisoners as a goodwill gesture, but it's having the opposite effect,
raising concern that next week's summit in Egypt between Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas could fail.
<br><br>
Terrorists try to torpedo 'cease-fire' <br><br>
Even though Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has persuaded militant
groups to accept a "truce," Israel thwarted two terrorist
attacks. The army says troops arrested a 16-year-old Palestinian at a
checkpoint near Nablus, who was trying to smuggle an explosives belt into
Israel. Police say another attack was thwarted here in Jerusalem, though
details were not released for security reasons. Had the attacks
succeeded, it could have torpedoed the summit. <br><br>
Sharon: Palestinians not fighting terror <br><br>
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says the Palestinians are not doing enough to
prevent terrorist attacks. "The Palestinian side has so far done
nothing apart from deploying forces in the Gaza Strip, without taking
substantive steps to fight terror," said a statement from the Prime
Minister's Office. Sharon said it is therefore too early to begin talks
on a Palestinian state, which is promised in the "roadmap"
peace plan. "The Prime Minister stressed that getting into the
roadmap will happen only after the Palestinians halt terrorist activity,
dismantle the [terrorist] infrastructure and carry out governmental
reforms," the statement said. <br><br>
Gaza pullout splits settlement movement <br><br>
A Gaza settlement leader has thrown the Settlement Council into disarray
because of a secret plan to move Jewish residents of Gaza to beach
property inside Israel. It's a contingency plan, should the government
pull the army out of Gaza and dismantle 21 settlements there as it
intends to do this summer. The plan, drawn up by Zvi Hendel, the only
Israeli parliamentarian living in Gaza, is supported by the practical
wing of the settlement movement, which wants to prepare for the day
after. But hardliners are furious; they say any talk of leaving Gaza is
surrender. <br><br>
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