Minister: No visits to Palestinian, Hizbullah prisoners

Minister Jacob Edery suggests forbidding family visits to Palestinian prisoners to pressure Haniyeh to release information on Gilad Shalit. Likewise, suggests preventing Red Cross visits to Hizbullah prisoners in order to acquire information on Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev

Ronny Sofer|Published: 08.17.06 , 13:27

How can pressure be exerted on Hamas and Hizbullah to release information on kidnapped IDF soldiers in their possession? In answer to this general question, Minister Jacob Edery (Kadima) suggested to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to forbid family visits to thousands of Palestinian prisoners, and to prevent Red Cross visits to Hizbullah operatives held in Israeli jails.

In Edery's opinion, these steps would exert massive pressure on Hamas and Hizbullah to provide hitherto absent proofs of life from kidnapped IDF soldiers Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.

Edery, who is in charge of Jerusalem affairs in the prime minister's office, said: "We owe a grave ethical debt to our soldiers kidnapped during service and to their families. The state of Israel must do all it can in order to secure their release."

"There is no doubt that one of our most significant tools to achieve this are the Palestinian and Hizbullah prisoners. As a former deputy to the minister of internal security, I know the meaning of preventing family visits to Palestinian prisoners or Red Cross visits to Hizbullah prisoners."

Edery suggested that Olmert immediately halt a convoy of buses full of Palestinian civilians heading towards Israeli jails. According to Edery, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh would be forced to provide a sign of life from Gilad Shalit as a result of large ensuing pressure.

"Thousands of family members come to visit Palestinian prisoners on a weekly basis. For them, it is a very important thing. However, if Israel doesn't receive proof of life from Gilad Shalit, there's no need to continue allowing these visits," he explained.

Edery added that Israel currently holds several Hizbullah prisoners, as well as corpses of operatives killed in battle with IDF forces. "We need to prevent publication of the names of Hizbullah operatives in our hands and prevent Red Cross visits to these operatives, until Nasrallah provides a sign of life from kidnapped soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser," he suggested.