Report: US agrees to free Pollard for extended Israeli-Palestinian peace talks
Israel to allegedly free some 14 Arab-Israelis under terms of 3-way compromise that also obligates Palestinian participation in talks through end of 2014.
JPost.com Staff - The Jerusalem Post - March 26, 2014 The United State has reportedly agreed to release imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard as part of a negotiated compromised to secure the continuation of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Army Radio reported Wednesday.
Israel, in exchange for the US gesture, will allegedly release another 26 Palestinian prisoners, including some 14 Arab-Israelis.
According to the Army Radio report, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will be obligated under the deal to keep his negotiators engaged in the current round of talks and an extended period through the end of 2014.
On Sunday, senior Israeli officials told Israel Radio that the peace process is in danger of collapsing. If no agreement is reached between the sides regarding the fourth installment of the prisoner release, which was originally scheduled to take place next week, the negotiations could break down completely.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and his team put forth the proposal in an effort to salvage the talks after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made it clear to the top US diplomat that he would not release the Palestinian inmates at all if the talks culminate at the end of April, as set as an initial nine-month deadline.
The government has remained adamant in refusing to free Palestinian citizens of Israel in the prisoner releases.
The Palestinians have said they would leave the negotiating table if the Israeli Arab prisoners are not released. However, there is currently no majority in the Israeli cabinet to release them.
By releasing Pollard from his nearly 30-year incarceration, the US hopes to gain approval from Netanyahu's splintered coalition for measures to proceed with the negotiating process.
Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon has threatened to resign and to oust Netanyahu as Likud leader if the release, set for March 28, takes place.
Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.