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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Cabinet vote on Hezbollah prisoner swap may be delayed |
| 2008-06-28 |
| The cabinet will apparently not vote on the prisoner exchange deal with Hezbollah, aimed at securing the release of two kidnapped Israeli reservists in exchange for five Lebanese prisoners, including murderer Samir Kuntar. Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were captured in a cross-border raid by Hezbollah guerrillas in July 2006, sparking the Second Lebanon War. The cabinet will only discuss the deal, despite Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's public vow at the Knesset podium last week to achieve a decision on the matter. A senior official at the prime minister's office said Thursday that 'the aim is to make a decision, but that may not be possible, because ministers will ask for more time to think, or because we may not have all the information before us.' Sunday's discussion will be the first time that the cabinet is meeting to discuss the matter, and Olmert has not made his position on the deal clear yet. However, two months ago Olmert promised the abducted soldiers' families that he would act to approve this deal in the cabinet. |
| Posted by:Fred |