Coalition Chairman MK Avigdor Itzchaky
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit
Reproduction photo
Marwan Barghouti
Photo: Reuters
Coalition head says soldiers must be freed at any cost
MK Avigdor Itzchaky says despite sensitivity of matter, 'Anything is legitimate to get the boys home'
Coalition chairman MK Avigdor Itzchaky (Kadima) urged fellow politicians to "stop interfering" with the prisoner exchange deal and to "let the prime minister work on it in peace," he told Ynet in an interview on Wednesday.
Prisoner Exchange
Palestinians demand release of terrorists convicted of murdering hundreds of civilians in exchange for kidnapped Israeli soldier. List includes masterminds behind Ze'evi assassination, Karin A weapons ship, scores of suicide bombings
When asked if he viewed former Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti as a legitimate bargaining chip in negotiations toward freeing kidnapped IDF soldiers, Itzchaky said, "In such negotiations; no prisoner is not a legitimate bargaining chip. Anything is legitimate to get the boys home."
"As someone who was the director-general of the prime minister's office for a number of years, and as someone who knows the business from up close, all talk for and against a deal does not contribute to anything. On the contrary, if it does cause anything, it only (causes) damage," he said.
Itzchaky said he was aware of the sensitivity of the matter on the part of the captives' families on the one hand, and on the part of the terror-afflicted families on the other hand.
"There is sensitivity on both sides, but the bottom line is that we must bring the boys home."
"IDF soldiers must be confident that even if they do fall captive, the State of Israel will do anything and everything to get them back home. This certainly is a serious dilemma, how many prisoners to release and in what ranks, and it is clearly difficult and painful to free murderers with blood on their hands, and certainly leaders of murderous groups.
"I hear people saying that releasing security prisoners would encourage the next kidnapping, but this risk is the price we have to pay to get the boys home. There is no other choice," he said.
'The coalition will survive, even without Olmert'
Itzchaky offered his opinion on the disappearance of Balad chairman MK Azmi Bishara, saying, "As a colleague, I ask that he does not return to Israel. He only brought damage to Israel's Arabs. It would be best if he would stay where he is."
The chairman also referred to the coalition which he heads, saying, "The coalition is strong, even if at times it doesn’t seem so... As chairman of the coalition I know from MKs and ministers that everyone's interest is that the coalition lasts. I believe that the coalition will complete its term."
Itzchaky did not rule out the possibility that the coalition would continue to survive even without Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in the case that he would be forced to resign following the Winograd Commission's conclusions.
"I sincerely hope that there won't be harsh conclusions against the prime minister, but if, God forbid, the conclusions are so, the coalition is strong regardless of one person or another and even harsh conclusions from the Winograd Commission will not bring it down. Furthermore, I call on other factions to enter the coalition, first and foremost the United Torah Judaism and the Likud party."
