Ex-Mossad head urges Israel - free uprising leader (Barghouthi)

[bemildred]

...

Ephraim Halevy, who headed the Mossad from 1998 until 2002
and resigned as head of Israel's National Security Council in June,
told the Haaretz newspaper Israel should abandon its refusal to free
Palestinians ''with blood on their hands.''
''It would be worthwhile also to free Barghouthi... Barghouthi's
release could very much help the moderate line of Abu Mazen,'' he
said, using Abbas's nom de guerre.
''Barghouthi could be part of a pragmatic Palestinian coalition with
which we could work. His release could change attitudes on the
Palestinian street.''
Halevy is one of Israel's most respected and experienced
experts on security matters. He rarely comments in public but when
he does so, his views are widely reported and discussed.

...

MSNBC

[StandWatie]

1. it would be a very, very, good idea

Of course this is working under the assumption that the Sharon government actually wants a partner for peace and I don't think that's the case at all.

[bemildred]

2. So, um

You don't feel that Sharon is trying to decrease tensions right now?

[rini]

3. Can

you find one instance of a Palestinian disagreeing with Arafat and living to tell the tale?

[StandWatie]

4. Barghouti for one..

[Gimel]

6. Does Barghouthi want peace?

It's true he wants out of the Israeli prison. There has been no trial yet. He refuses to cooperate with the trial procedure, and won't even accept representation in the court.

[StandWatie]

7. He wants war

and he wants it to end with Palestinian sovereignty over the West Bank and Gaza. He spells this out over and over and over and will argue with Hamas all day long.

I think he would be the best bet to pull out the holy cannon and "Altalena" Hamas in a situation where he really got a Palestinian state vs. Arafat who has made a career out of pandering to everyone.

[Gimel]

5. Does he have a choice?

It seems that Hamas is the leading partner so far. Do the Hamas leaders want peace with Israel?

[DuctapeFatwa]

8. The last two who said they did were murdered by Israel

Anyone in Palestine who wants peace would be well-advised to keep that particular desire very private.

[Gimel]

9. Where did you hear that? n/t

[DuctapeFatwa]

10. It was Abu Shanab who got Hamas to agree to the cease fire

And at least one, maybe more since then, Israel has murdered so many people recently it is hard to keep up, but whatever the name of the last one who really was a "Hamas leader" after Abu Shanab, I mean in the sense of going to meetings and talking to the media, not in the sense that "Israel killed him, so he must have been a Hamas leader."