United Arab Emirates

News

2007
 

  

CAIRO. EGYPTIAN TO MEDIATE ON PRISONER SWAP.

The issue of detainees in Israeli prisons strikes a powerful chord among Palestinians

Egyptian mediators have held talks with Israeli officials in an attempt to broker a prisoner swap between Israel and Palestinians and revive the peace process.

Palestinian officials have repeatedly said a deal is close, but talks ended on Wednesday without securing an agreement.

Omar Suleiman, Egypt's head of intelligence, held talks in Israel with Amir Peretz, the Israeli defence minister.

He was also due to meet with Ehud Olmert, Israel's prime minister, to discuss the exchange of prisoners. Hamas is asking for the release of 1,400 prisoners held by Israel.

In exchange, Hamas-allied fighters would free seized Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and hand him to the Egyptians.

Prisoner swaps

At the same time, Israel would free women prisoners and minors in its custody.

"We've made reasonable progress concerning Palestinian dialogue, we've agreed on framework and dialogue continues". Ismail Haniyeh, Palestinian leader

Among those Hamas wants freed are Hamas prisoners serving long sentences and Marwan Barghouti, a leader of Abbas' Fatah party.

Kadoura Fares, a former Fatah legislator, said he had received personal assurances from Hamas's political chief, Khaled Meshaal, that Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouti would be part of any swap.

Barghouti, a West Bank Fatah leader, is serving five life sentences for his involvement in attacks on Israelis. Israel, which has carried out prisoner swaps in the past, is concerned that an exchange will be seen as a victory for Hamas.

Abu Mujahed, a spokesman for the Hamas-affiliated Popular Resistance Committees, one of three resistance groups involved in Shalit's capture, said there was no agreement with Israel on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be freed or a timetable for any swap.

Haniyeh in Egypt Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian leader, flew to Cairo on Tuesday for talks with the Egyptian officials who will mediate between Israel and Palestine. Haniyeh met with with Suleiman and Ahmed Abul Gheit, Egypt's minister of foreign affairs. Haniyeh said: "We've made reasonable progress concerning Palestinian dialogue, we've agreed on framework and dialogue continues."

Haniyeh's two day visit to Egypt constitutes the highest level meeting between Egyptian officials and members of the Palestinian Hamas government.

 		  

ISRAEL. UNION STARTS STRIKE ACTION.
Travellers were stranded in Ben Gurion airport after a strike by Israel's major labour union  Israel's main labour union has begun a wide-ranging general strike across the country, closing offices and shutting down the country's international airport.

The strike began on Wednesday in protest over the non-payment of salaries to 12,000 workers and the failure to transfer money to pensions and other employee benefit funds for 40,000 others. The Histradrut, the General Federation of Jewish Labour, called the strike after it failed to reach an agreement with the government. Ofer Eini, the Histradrut leader, said: "All we want is for the local authorities to pay the salaries coming to the workers ... as in a proper country." On Wednesday, government offices were shut and many of Israel's public services came to a halt, including the postal service and rubbish collection.

Seaports were closed to cargo and trains did not operate. There were no outgoing flights from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. The Bank of Israel closed and the delivery of fuel to petrol stations also came under pressure with the possibility of fuel shortages if the strike continues in the coming days. The Israeli finance ministry has said that poor planning and mismanagement by regional councils has led the councils to near bankruptcy.  Abraham Hirchson, the Israeli finance minister, criticised the strike and said the Histradrut should negotiate further with the government. He said: "Israeli citizens have a right to quiet, stability and certainty. It is possible to resolve the problems without causing suffering to the citizens of Israel."

Israel's economy has been helped this year by record foreign investment, but a strike would erode confidence and put the economy under pressure as it copes with the expense of the war Israel waged in July and August against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Histradrut was founded in 1920 and represents hundreds of thousands of civil workers.

The union held a strike over similar issues two years ago. At that time, local municipalities were in deep financial trouble but the government agreed to pay salaries.