The Ministerial Committee on the Release of Prisoners approved on Sunday a list of 230 Palestinians slated to be freed as part of an Israeli gesture
in honor of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim Festival of Sacrifice. The names of 20 inmates included in the initial list were rejected.
Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter objected Sunday to the release of 19 of the 230 Fatah prisoners slated to return to the Gaza Strip.
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Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai objected to the release of all prisoners. "This decision continues a destructive police of one-sidedness, which is detached from the cruel reality," he said.
The ministerial committee is headed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
and its members include Minister Dichter and Yishai, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni,
Vice Premier Haim Ramon, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, Defense Minister Ehud Barak,
Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann and Minister for Pensioner Affairs Rafi Eitan.
A source in the Prime Minister's Office noted after the release was approved,
about a week ago, that this was a routine gesture carried out every year on the Festival of Sacrifice.
"The current gesture has nothing to do with the (kidnapped soldier Gilad) Shalit
deal)," the source said. "We are talking about the release of prisoners belonging to the Palestinian pragmatic camp."
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