After two years of being one of the well-kept secret in the political and diplomatic arena, the diplomatic activity of Knesset Member Chaim Oron (Meretz) was revealed Monday evening.
Oron has been mediating for two years now between former Fatah Secretary-General Marwan Barghouti, who is jailed in Israel,
and the Prime Minister's Office.
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Jailed Fatah leader blasts Olmert's diplomatic plan, says convergence aims to deepen occupation; Barghouti charges Israeli society failed to give rise to genuine peace partner |
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Oron has also helped senior Palestinians wishing to visit Barghouti at the prison to receive permits from the Israel authorities, in a bid to reach a calm in the Palestinian street and maintain the stability and the control of the moderates in the street and in politics.
Oron has been operating independently, but over time has more than once led to a calm in the relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Oron's activity has been known by different elements for a while now, but was kept a secret.
Sources in the Israeli Left, including Chaim Oron, believe that Barghouti's release from the Israeli jail will bring about a calm and will enable reaching an agreement with the Palestinians.
The same sources believe that Barghouti has changed since being jailed in Israel and that he has become more moderate and is ready for a serious and significant dialogue.
Barghouti's name was raised by PA senior officials
as a person who must be included in the prisoner exchange deal for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
During a meeting last summer with MK Talab El-Sana, Barghouti said that he anticipates that if senior Palestinian prisoners are not released as part of the deal, this may lead to additional kidnappings.
Barghouti claimed in the same conversation that the Israeli government was responsible for the abductions. According to him, had Israel agreed to release Samir Kuntar, there would have been no kidnappings in Lebanon,
and had it released Palestinian prisoners, it would have strengthened Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and prevented Shalit's kidnapping.
Barghouti added that "just as Gilad Shalit is important to his family and his country, so is every Palestinian prisoner.
According to him, it has already been proven that the prisoners are the Palestinians' real leaders, as they were the only ones who could have formulated the prisoners' document,
which became the source of unity among the Palestinians.
He said that any real move must receive the blessing of the Palestinian prisoners, and therefore it is expected that a prisoner exchange deal for Shalit's release will also include senior Palestinian prisoners, otherwise it would lead to additional abductions.
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