![]() ![]() |
![]() |
| |
|
Israel Frees Nearly 200 PalestiniansPosted on Aug 25, 2008With Condoleezza Rice fast approaching on a peace mission, Israel offered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a show of support on Monday by freeing 198 Palestinian prisoners. The group included Israel’s longest serving prisoner. Israel holds roughly 9,000 Palestinians.
Previous item: Goodbye Beijing, Hello Denver Next item: Wheeling and Dealing for Unity in Denver Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment
|
A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
Copyright © 2008 Truthdig, L.L.C. All rights reserved. |
By Mamie Mitchell, August 25 at 7:57 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
I think Israel should buy the state of Rhode Island and move there. The neighboring states would not be hostile and they could prosper. Problem solved. The holy land hasn’t been holy in quite a while.
Report thisBy P. T., August 25 at 7:54 am #
Israel holds practically an endless supply of Palestinians and Lebanese as hostages and “bargaining chips,” without charges. From time to time it releases some as “goodwill” gestures.
However, when an Israeli soldier gets captured, he is called a hostage, not a POW. Interesting how that works.
Report thisBy Fadel Abdallah, August 25 at 6:58 am #
Well Israel doesn’t acknowledge Palestinians as human beings, so the issue of humanitarian gesture is out of question. I can provide you a big list how the Israeli leaders see the Palestinians. It will bring a chill down the spine of decent people! But I’d rather skip that part for the sake of brevity and lack of time.
But in these days of food and fuel high cost, this is purely an economic measure to cut spending on feeding and energy costs of running prisons.
Additionally, with the untold numbers of walls and checkpoints they erected everywhere in the occupied territories, the whole land is a really large scale prison for the natives, so why spend more money on minor prisons that cost money to run?!
Report thisBy donotlie2me, August 25 at 5:54 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
First, Israel holds 11,000 prisoners, not 9,000.
Second, all 198 of these prisoners were due to
be released by the end of 2008, so it’s a small gesture.
Third, Israel typically has a wave of mass arrests
to fill the recently vacated prison cells. So releasing
1.8% of the victims is an empty gesture, and
the world knows it - outside of the US.
Fourth, you should put this in perspective. Israel
Report thisis responsible for the murder of some 240 sick
people in Gaza this year. Israel refuses to let
patients leave Gaza for life-saving medical care.
You could mention that some 340 to 400 children
(under 16) are prisoners. You could mention that
hundreds of Palestinians are held in
“administrative detention”, in some cases for years,
without any charges ever being filed.
By rybo, August 25 at 5:05 am #
Well, isn’t this generous of Israel to free a measly 200 prisoners, while keeping at least 9,000 behind razor wire and God knows how they’re being treated. This of course will be all over the corporate media showing what great humanitarians the Zionists are. Shame on Israel for their less than humane gesture.
Report thisBy Fahrenheit 451, August 25 at 4:37 am #
So. It’s a distraction.
Report this