Speaking with the Bahrain-based Al-Halij newspaper, Abbas said that Shalit will be transferred to Egypt, and only afterwards will the number of prisoners to be freed by Israel be publicized.
Vice Premier Shimon Peres, on Army Radio this morning, would not confirm the reports and said they are nothing more than speculation. Even Abu Mazen, Peres said, did not specify "between who and who" the agreement was reached.
However, Peres said, that if such an agreement is reached, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abu Mazen would meet very shortly afterwards. Olmert and Abbas met only once since Olmert took office - a brief meeting in Jordan, at which they said they would meet more formally and substantially two or three weeks later.
Two days later, however, Gilad Shalit was abducted by Hamas terrorists, changing the plans. Olmert now says he will not meet with Abu Mazen until Shalit is released.
The London-based Al-Hayat newspaper provides a more detailed report of the exchange deal being discussed. Considered a prestigious publication in the Arab world, the paper reports that Shalit has already been in Egypt for a while. The terms of the deal, Al-Hayat reports, stipulate a three-stage release: Israel would release 300 PA prisoners immediately, followed by another 300 several weeks later, and a final 200 by the end of the year.
Rabbi Dov Lior, the Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Arba and a leader of the Judea and Samaria Rabbis Council, told Arutz-7 today that though redeeming captives is a very high priority in Jewish law and tradition, "the rule is that they cannot be redeemed for more than their worth - or else the enemies will continue to squeeze us for more and more. It is forbidden."
Asked if "their worth" might be determined by the government relative to the situation, Rabbi Lior said, "It's clear that hundreds of prisoners in exchange for one is more than their worth. And even though this has been the situation in the past [releasing hundreds of terrorists for one Israeli], it must be stopped." The rabbi also expressed his opinion that he does not think the reports are true.
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of the Yeshivat Hesder in Petach Tikvah, agreed, but from a different angle. He told Arutz-7 today,
"This is a very difficult question to answer, given the circumstances. On the one hand, the Halakhah [Jewish Law] that forbids giving 'more than their worth' is not referring to a situation in which the captive is your own emissary. We sent him as a soldier and he was taken captive while serving in our name, and this increases our obligation towards freeing him. On the other hand, we also have an obligation towards the next captives, who will be abducted in the future if the enemy is thus encouraged and enticed to take more captives. The Jibril deal [in 1985, when Israel freed 1,150 terrorist in exchange for three prisoners of war - ed.] taught us a terrible lesson, that a deal of this nature is merely an exchange of one tragedy for many more in the future."
"It is a very difficult question," Rabbi Cherlow concluded, "but in my opinion, the State will err if it carries it out, and must stand strongly."
Gilad's father Noam Shalit says he has not been informed of any progress on his son's release, and does not believe Gilad is in Egypt.
Which prisoners will be released has still not been determined, though it is clear that Marwan Barghouti (serving life sentences for five terrorist murders) and Ahmed Saadat (secretary-general of the PFLP terrorist gang, responsible for the murder of Cabinet Minister Rehavam Ze'evi), are not in the deal. Hamas has made a demand for the release of all women prisoners and all those who have already served 20 years in prison - i.e., terrorists who have murdered Jews.
Reports in other Arab papers speak of up to 1,400 prisoners to be released in return for Shalit, as well as Israeli promises to cease targeted killings against terrorist leaders and to transfer frozen PA tax monies. Officials in the Prime Minister's Office refuse to substantiate reports of progress on the matter.
Vice Premier Shimon Peres, on Army Radio this morning, would not confirm the reports and said they are nothing more than speculation. Even Abu Mazen, Peres said, did not specify "between who and who" the agreement was reached.
However, Peres said, that if such an agreement is reached, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abu Mazen would meet very shortly afterwards. Olmert and Abbas met only once since Olmert took office - a brief meeting in Jordan, at which they said they would meet more formally and substantially two or three weeks later.
Two days later, however, Gilad Shalit was abducted by Hamas terrorists, changing the plans. Olmert now says he will not meet with Abu Mazen until Shalit is released.
The London-based Al-Hayat newspaper provides a more detailed report of the exchange deal being discussed. Considered a prestigious publication in the Arab world, the paper reports that Shalit has already been in Egypt for a while. The terms of the deal, Al-Hayat reports, stipulate a three-stage release: Israel would release 300 PA prisoners immediately, followed by another 300 several weeks later, and a final 200 by the end of the year.
Rabbi Dov Lior, the Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Arba and a leader of the Judea and Samaria Rabbis Council, told Arutz-7 today that though redeeming captives is a very high priority in Jewish law and tradition, "the rule is that they cannot be redeemed for more than their worth - or else the enemies will continue to squeeze us for more and more. It is forbidden."
Asked if "their worth" might be determined by the government relative to the situation, Rabbi Lior said, "It's clear that hundreds of prisoners in exchange for one is more than their worth. And even though this has been the situation in the past [releasing hundreds of terrorists for one Israeli], it must be stopped." The rabbi also expressed his opinion that he does not think the reports are true.
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of the Yeshivat Hesder in Petach Tikvah, agreed, but from a different angle. He told Arutz-7 today,
"This is a very difficult question to answer, given the circumstances. On the one hand, the Halakhah [Jewish Law] that forbids giving 'more than their worth' is not referring to a situation in which the captive is your own emissary. We sent him as a soldier and he was taken captive while serving in our name, and this increases our obligation towards freeing him. On the other hand, we also have an obligation towards the next captives, who will be abducted in the future if the enemy is thus encouraged and enticed to take more captives. The Jibril deal [in 1985, when Israel freed 1,150 terrorist in exchange for three prisoners of war - ed.] taught us a terrible lesson, that a deal of this nature is merely an exchange of one tragedy for many more in the future."
"It is a very difficult question," Rabbi Cherlow concluded, "but in my opinion, the State will err if it carries it out, and must stand strongly."
Gilad's father Noam Shalit says he has not been informed of any progress on his son's release, and does not believe Gilad is in Egypt.
Which prisoners will be released has still not been determined, though it is clear that Marwan Barghouti (serving life sentences for five terrorist murders) and Ahmed Saadat (secretary-general of the PFLP terrorist gang, responsible for the murder of Cabinet Minister Rehavam Ze'evi), are not in the deal. Hamas has made a demand for the release of all women prisoners and all those who have already served 20 years in prison - i.e., terrorists who have murdered Jews.
Reports in other Arab papers speak of up to 1,400 prisoners to be released in return for Shalit, as well as Israeli promises to cease targeted killings against terrorist leaders and to transfer frozen PA tax monies. Officials in the Prime Minister's Office refuse to substantiate reports of progress on the matter.