Hamas Still Demanding Ahmed Saadat Prisoner Release. MR Still Doesn’t Think Olmert Can Do It.

By
Omri Ceren
– June 26, 2007Posted in: Palestinians, Politics Israeli

Hamas – desperate for any kind of win after what’s increasingly emerging as a hollow Gaza takeover – is assuring everyone that their prisoner release terms are totally reasonable:

Rantisi dismissed the differences over the prisoners’ identity, saying that, if an agreement was to be reached, arguments should be avoided. “If it is a more sustantial or less substantial inmate, with blood on his hands or without – if we keep up these things then there will be no end to it,” the Hamas spokesman said. “Obviously Hamas demands the release of all of those who were leaders of Hamas and Fatah, as well as Ahmed Saadat. I reiterate, we are not in argument over many people.”

Except as long as they’re demanding Saadat, we’re sticking to our prediction that Olmert won’t be able to pull it off:

Saadat is a red line that should cost Olmert the Prime Ministry if he tries to cross it. Saadat was behind the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi. We don’t care how crazy a terrorist you are – you quite simply don’t get to murder sitting Israeli cabinet ministers – to say nothing of miiltary heroes – at your whim. He’s an unrepentant, genocidal terrorist dedicated to the nonnegotiable destruction of Israel (in sharp contrast – don’t argue – to Barghouti).

We’ve also commented that a prisoner exchange deal would be the perfect time for Israel Beiteinu to bolster their rightist credentials by bailing on the coalition. And what do you know…

So apparently now the game is to see how much damage Olmert can do in the month before the Winograd Commission report comes out. And whether he’ll get another chance at Hamas or Hezbollah before that happens – something that becomes ever more likely the more Hamas becomes isolated and desperate.

References:
* Foreign ministry: Hamas is weak [JPost]
* Details Of Shalit Deal Emerging. You’re Not Going To Like It. [MR]
* Netanyahu: Releasing Fatah prisoners will be a big mistake [JPost]
* MR Prediction: Olmert Doesn’t Have The Political Capital To Meet Hamas’s Terms, Pull Off The Shalit Deal [MR]

Previously:
* This Summer’s War With Syria – Peace Deal Rumors Are Suspiciously Incoherent
* Ehud Olmert’s Love Of the Beautiful Game Endears Him To MR [Video]
* Olmert Rejects Palestinian Demands For Shalit

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