Protestors gathered at the Rose Garden opposite the Prime Minister's office Monday morning to demonstrate against the government's decision to release hundreds of Palestinian Authority terrorists ahead of next week's planned Annapolis summit.
Among those participating in the protest were Rabbi Dov Lior, who is Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Arba and a member of the Council of Rabbis in Judea, Samaria and Gaza as well as several Knesset Members. The officials were joined by families of victims of terror and by families of the Jewish activists who remain incarcerated for nationalist activities.
One of the demonstrators was Yisca Lieberman, whose father Rabbi Hillel Lieberman was murdered by Arab terrorists near Joseph's Tomb several years ago. She said she appealed to Public Security Minister Avi Dichter to explain the logic of freeing terrorists who planned to murder Israelis while not freeing Jews who were incarcerated for lesser offenses but added, "No one cares."
The cabinet gave final approval Monday afternoon to the plan in which Israel will free 450 Arab terrorists, a fraction of the 2,000 prisoners whose release was demanded by the PA.
Even as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert prepares to add hundreds more terrorists to those whose freedom he has already granted, however, PA negotiators on Sunday retracted all clauses of a joint agreement with Israel that was to be announced ahead of the Annapolis conference.
"As of now, there is no joint declaration and no draft for such a declaration either," said a senior Israeli official in Jerusalem. "The Palestinians are back to square one. They have taken everything back to the first day of negotiations," he said. The source added that this was not felt to be a crisis, and that each side may make its own declaration at the summit instead.
Prime Minister Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) were scheduled to meet Monday after the cabinet meeting for final talks prior to the summit. The agenda was not released to the media.
The Arab League plans to meet on Thursday to formulate a united stance of issues to be presented at the U.S.-sponsored conference. The meeting may determine the fate of the planned summit.
Also on the cabinet agenda for Monday was the freeze on building permits for Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria and plans to expel Jews from new communities that have not received government approval.
The Likud will submit a no-confidence motion against the government Monday afternoon due to the building freeze.
Ariel town mayor Ron Nachman harshly criticized Prime Minister Olmert and his government for halting construction of Jewish homes in Israel's biblical heartland. Nachman called the government leaders "liars and political charlatans" who are unable to confess their grave error in supporting the Disengagement from Gush Katif in Gaza.
"When a person fails, the norm is that he comes before the nation, states his error, and expresses remorse. After the destruction of Gush Katif, the destroyed towns turned into launching pads for Kassam rockets at Israel. Where is the Prime Minister? Where is the Defense Minister? Where is the Foreign Minister? Where is the Public Security Minister? Where is everyone who supported the destruction of Gush Katif?"
Turning to Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the 11-seat Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Is Our Home) party, Nachman asked, "Why are you still sitting in the government? How do you state that you are not aware of a government freeze on building when you can't add on a meter in [your home town] Nokdim? And what is the Shas party doing there? They should let me explain to Rabbi Ovadia [Yosef] what is happening here."