Released Palestinian Prisoners Return to West Bank
Early Monday morning, December 15, more than 220 Palestinian prisoners freed by Israeli authorities arrived in the West Bank. They were greeted by a crowd that seemed to be overjoyed with the release, a move that Israel has termed a gesture of goodwill towards Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority. However, comments made by Palestinian prisoners minister Ashraf al-Ajrami seemed to detract from the action, accusing Israel of taking unilateral action with regard to which prisoners were released rather than heeding to Palestinian demands, saying “The Israelis decided to release these prisoners without any negotiation or any connection with the Palestinian side.” Al-Ajrami seemed to be implying that Israel’s true motivation in the release was merely the illusion of diplomatic efforts on an international stage, as opposed to a genuine desire to adhere to Palestinian requests. Such accusations hinge on the estimated 10,000 Palestinian prisoners who remain in Israeli custody.
Paul Shapiro
