Cabinet ministers discuss Shalit deal
Top seven government members convene at Prime Minister's Office for third time Sunday to debate prisoner exchange with Hamas aimed at securing kidnapped soldier's release, on backdrop of reports that ball is now in Israel's court. Earlier, Netanyahu meets with Egyptian intelligence chief
The forum includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor, Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon, Minister Benny Begin and Interior Minister Eli Yishai.
The meeting was held on the backdrop of reports that the ball is now in Israel's court and that the Palestinian organization was awaiting Netanyahu's response.
A state official noted, however, that "a cabinet meeting is unlikely to convene this week" to vote on the matter. Any prisoner exchange deal will have to be brought to the government's approval before being implemented.
The discussion, which began Sunday morning following an announcement to the ministers on Saturday night, sparked a series of estimations and rumors that the government was planning to vote on the Shalit deal.
Only in the evening hours, it was cleared for publication that the ministers were indeed discussing a prisoner exchange deal and not "security issues" as stated at first.
Gilad Shalit flag on Gaza border (Photo: Reuters)
The meeting was resumed in the afternoon hours and ended shortly before Shalit's parents, Noam and Aviva, arrived at the Prime Minister's Office to deliver a letter to Netanyahu calling on him to make a decision. The discussion was resumed once against in the evening.
Shalit's parents wrote in their letter, "We feel that the coming days are critical for our beloved son Gilad. We are following with deep concern and great hope the moves of the Israeli government and its leader, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, in your sincere efforts to bring Gilad back home. We turn to you, Mr. Prime Minister, before it's becomes too late."
The letter was delivered to Netanyahu following a slew of reports in the Arab media and in the American Fox network that the prisoner exchange deal is being delayed due to the prime minister's reluctance over the price Hamas is demanding for the kidnapped soldier.
About an hour before the ministers' third meeting, Netanyahu met in Jerusalem with Egyptian Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman, who met earlier with Ministers Barak and Netanyahu.
