|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.538392
Israeli Minister: Prisoner Release Prevents Serious Diplomatic Crisis with the U.S.
(Ha'aretz) Barak Ravid - Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar says he supported the prisoner release at the cabinet meeting Sunday to prevent a serious diplomatic crisis with the U.S. "If there is no majority for the proposal [in the cabinet], it doesn't only mean that we refuse to release the prisoners. It means that we refuse to renew negotiations and that Israel will be blamed....Not only does it let the Palestinians get to work at the UN immediately, it could also absolve our relatively few friends in the international community who are still standing alongside us and casting a veto at the UN or blocking boycotts," Sa'ar said. "That doesn't mean I think there's a great chance to achieve a final-status agreement with the Palestinians...but we want to preserve Israeli's international status and prevent it from suffering a diplomatic and economic blow."