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Rafael Hadad
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Israel to free Palestinians in 'swap,' says Gaddafi son

Son of Libyan leader hints release of Israeli citizen Rafael Hadad held in Libyan prison for five months linked to deal to free Palestinian prisoners

The son of Libya's leader hinted on Thursday that his country's release of an Israeli reportedly held as a spy was linked to a deal to free Palestinian prisoners held by the Jewish state.

 

Seif al-Islam, son of Muammar Gaddafi, said "it is better to free prisoners from among our Palestinian sisters and brothers than to keep an Israeli in jail," adding that an announcement "will be made in the coming days."

 

He also denied reports that Rafael Hadad, who flew home on Monday after being held for five months on suspicion of espionage, was a spy.

 

"He was not a spy. The Israelis do not send an Israeli spy, and even less one with a Jewish first name on his passport," Islam said on the sidelines of a meeting to sign agreements with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

 

Without elaborating, he said he had taken advantage of the situation.

 

"Perhaps I am being opportunistic, but my aim is to do good."

 

On Monday, Hadad flew home to Israel, which praised Tripoli for its handling of secret negotiations to secure his release.

 

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who accompanied Hadad on a flight from Austria, said the Libyans had "behaved in a very responsible way."

 

"I can't say much but their demands were very reasonable, very responsible, logical demands," he said.

 

Hadad, who holds Israeli and Tunisian nationalities, was detained in March while reportedly taking photographs of properties once owned by Jews, on behalf of an Israel-based historical society.

 

At the time, an Israeli official told AFP that, as part of the deal, Israel agreed to the transfer of 20 prefabricated houses supplied by Libya to Gaza stored at the Egyptian port of El-Arish.

 

On July 15, a Libyan aid ship which failed to break Israel's Gaza blockade docked in El-Arish where it unloaded its cargo, waiting to be shipped overland to the Palestinian territory.

 

Lieberman said Hadad's release was the outcome of intricate and confidential negotiations, conducted while the arrest itself was kept secret. "There were no leaks... Dozens of people were in on the secret," he said.

 

Austrian millionaire businessman Martin Schlaff was Lieberman s point man in efforts to free Hadad. Schlaff is said to be a friend of Seif al-Islam.

 

The Libyan newspaper Oea, which is close to Seif al-Islam, said Hadad was to have gone on trial "but the intervention of a European mediator led to his extradition on Sunday to Vienna."

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.12.10, 23:24
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