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| Israel Agrees to Prisoner Release, Clearing Way for Talks | Israel Agrees to Prisoner Release, Clearing Way for Talks |
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| JERUSALEM — The Israeli cabinet cleared the last obstacle to resuming peace talks with the Palestinians by voting on Sunday to approve the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners. | JERUSALEM — The Israeli cabinet cleared the last obstacle to resuming peace talks with the Palestinians by voting on Sunday to approve the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners. |
| The prisoner release is an unpopular move with many Israelis, but one that the Palestinian leadership has insisted upon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu worked over the weekend to convince Israelis that a resumption of the peace process was a vital Israeli interest. After hours of deliberations on Sunday, 13 ministers voted in favor, 7 opposed the release and 2 abstained. | |
| The prisoners, most of whom have served at least 20 years for deadly attacks on Israelis, are to be released in batches depending on progress in the talks. | The prisoners, most of whom have served at least 20 years for deadly attacks on Israelis, are to be released in batches depending on progress in the talks. |
| “This moment is not easy for me,” Mr. Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office. “It is not easy for the ministers. It is not easy especially for the families, the bereaved families, whose heart I understand. But there are moments in which tough decisions must be made for the good of the country, and this is one of those moments.” | “This moment is not easy for me,” Mr. Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office. “It is not easy for the ministers. It is not easy especially for the families, the bereaved families, whose heart I understand. But there are moments in which tough decisions must be made for the good of the country, and this is one of those moments.” |
| Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, described the decision in a statement as “an overdue step toward the implementation of the Sharm el-Sheik agreement of 1999.” | Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, described the decision in a statement as “an overdue step toward the implementation of the Sharm el-Sheik agreement of 1999.” |
| “We welcome this decision, 14 years later,” he said. | “We welcome this decision, 14 years later,” he said. |
| As the cabinet meeting got under way, scores of Israeli protesters gathered outside the prime minister’s office, including people whose relatives were killed in terrorist acts. The protesters carried signs bearing the names and portraits of some of the victims. | As the cabinet meeting got under way, scores of Israeli protesters gathered outside the prime minister’s office, including people whose relatives were killed in terrorist acts. The protesters carried signs bearing the names and portraits of some of the victims. |
| “It rips our heart out that they are aiding and abetting the terrorists,” said Yehudit Tayar, one of the protesters. | “It rips our heart out that they are aiding and abetting the terrorists,” said Yehudit Tayar, one of the protesters. |
| Mr. Netanyahu will lead a team of five ministers who will oversee the release of Palestinian prisoners during the negotiations, which are expected to get under way in Washington on Tuesday. But he deferred any public decision on whether those to be released would include Arab citizens of Israel, a longstanding point of dispute, saying that any such release would be brought to another cabinet vote. | |
| On Saturday evening, Mr. Netanyahu took the unusual step of issuing what he called “an open letter to the citizens of Israel” to explain the contentious move. The letter gave no details about who would be released or when. | On Saturday evening, Mr. Netanyahu took the unusual step of issuing what he called “an open letter to the citizens of Israel” to explain the contentious move. The letter gave no details about who would be released or when. |
| Mr. Netanyahu began his letter, which was posted on the prime minister’s Web site and disseminated through the Israeli news media, with an acknowledgment of the unpopularity of the gesture, which many Israelis view as a painful concession with nothing guaranteed in return. The letter noted that the decision “is painful for the bereaved families, it is painful for the entire nation, and it is also very painful for me — it collides with the incomparably important value of justice.” | Mr. Netanyahu began his letter, which was posted on the prime minister’s Web site and disseminated through the Israeli news media, with an acknowledgment of the unpopularity of the gesture, which many Israelis view as a painful concession with nothing guaranteed in return. The letter noted that the decision “is painful for the bereaved families, it is painful for the entire nation, and it is also very painful for me — it collides with the incomparably important value of justice.” |
| On Friday, Yediot Aharonot, an Israeli newspaper, published an impassioned open letter to Mr. Netanyahu from Abie Moses, whose pregnant wife and 5-year-old son, Tal, were fatally burned in a firebomb attack on their car in April 1987. Mr. Moses said that faced with the likely release of their killer, Mohammad Adel Hassin Daoud, “the wounds have reopened; the memories, which we live with on a daily basis, turn into physical pain, in addition to the emotional pain of coping daily with the nightmare.” | On Friday, Yediot Aharonot, an Israeli newspaper, published an impassioned open letter to Mr. Netanyahu from Abie Moses, whose pregnant wife and 5-year-old son, Tal, were fatally burned in a firebomb attack on their car in April 1987. Mr. Moses said that faced with the likely release of their killer, Mohammad Adel Hassin Daoud, “the wounds have reopened; the memories, which we live with on a daily basis, turn into physical pain, in addition to the emotional pain of coping daily with the nightmare.” |
| Mr. Moses added, “In our opinion, if his release will lead to attaining of peace, let him be released outside the boundaries of Palestine, exiled and never allowed to see his family members again, just as we cannot see ours.” | Mr. Moses added, “In our opinion, if his release will lead to attaining of peace, let him be released outside the boundaries of Palestine, exiled and never allowed to see his family members again, just as we cannot see ours.” |
| Over the years, thousands of Palestinian prisoners have been exchanged for Israeli soldiers who had been taken captive, or for the bodies of abducted soldiers. During his previous term in office, Mr. Netanyahu reached an agreement with Hamas, the Islamist militant group that governs Gaza, and exchanged more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who had been held captive in Gaza for five years. | Over the years, thousands of Palestinian prisoners have been exchanged for Israeli soldiers who had been taken captive, or for the bodies of abducted soldiers. During his previous term in office, Mr. Netanyahu reached an agreement with Hamas, the Islamist militant group that governs Gaza, and exchanged more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who had been held captive in Gaza for five years. |
| An Israeli government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said many of those who remained in Israeli jails, like the 104 now chosen for early release, had been involved in particularly gruesome acts. | An Israeli government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said many of those who remained in Israeli jails, like the 104 now chosen for early release, had been involved in particularly gruesome acts. |
| “The goal here is to augment the political dialogue with confidence-building measures,” the official said. | “The goal here is to augment the political dialogue with confidence-building measures,” the official said. |
| The prisoner issue is the one that has inflamed passions on both sides. Palestinians view these long-serving prisoners, convicted before the signing of the Oslo peace accords in 1993, as political prisoners and freedom fighters whose release is long overdue. | The prisoner issue is the one that has inflamed passions on both sides. Palestinians view these long-serving prisoners, convicted before the signing of the Oslo peace accords in 1993, as political prisoners and freedom fighters whose release is long overdue. |
| A Palestinian official involved in the negotiations process, who could speak only on the condition of anonymity because of the delicate diplomacy under way, said the Palestinian side had given a list of all 104 pre-Oslo prisoners to Mr. Kerry, who conveyed it to the Israelis. | A Palestinian official involved in the negotiations process, who could speak only on the condition of anonymity because of the delicate diplomacy under way, said the Palestinian side had given a list of all 104 pre-Oslo prisoners to Mr. Kerry, who conveyed it to the Israelis. |
| “This is the biggest achievement we will have had this year,” the Palestinian official said. | “This is the biggest achievement we will have had this year,” the Palestinian official said. |
| He said the first group was expected to be released in August, and the rest within six months. | He said the first group was expected to be released in August, and the rest within six months. |
Alyza Sebenius contributed reporting. | Alyza Sebenius contributed reporting. |