PA minister: Israel prisoner release delay 'political blackmail'

Issa Qaraqe told Ma'an that Israel is scheduled to released a final group of 30 veteran prisoners on March 29. So far, 78 of a total of 104 veteran Palestinian prisoners have been freed in three separate tranches.
 
However, speaking to Israeli army radio, Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, an outspoken hardliner who opposes a Palestinian state, said Israel's pledge to release them was unlikely to happen because there had been no move in the US-led peace process.
 
And if it did, the government would never agree to release Arab Israeli citizens jailed for nationalist attacks, he said.
 
"The (original) decision said (the release) should be dependent on progress in the negotiations and now it is clear to everyone that there has been no progress," Bennett said of the talks which are facing collapse ahead of an April 29 deadline.
 
But Qaraqe said any delay to the release would amount to "political blackmail" and could "foil negotiations."
 
The PA minister said the release of prisoners was not conditional on peace talks and had been part of agreement with the PLO not to seek membership of any international organizations during the nine month period.
 
Qaraqe highlighted that President Abbas had asked Obama in a recent meeting to urge Israel to release jailed PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat and Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi.
 
He also said that Israel should release all sick, elderly and child prisoners.
 
Releasing the last 30 veteran prisoners will be a test of Israel's credibility regarding a just peace deal with the Palestinian people, Qaraqe added.
 
Below is a list of last 30 Palestinian prisoners detained before the Oslo Accords.
 
1. Karim Younis Fadil Younis, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1983.
2. Mahir Abdul-Latif Abdul-Qadir Younis, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1983.
3. Walid Nimir Asaad Duqqa, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1986.
4. Ibrahim Nayif Ibrahim Abu Mukh, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1986.
5. Rushdi Hamdan Muhammad Abu Mukh, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1986.
6. Ibrahim Abdul-Raziq Ahmad Bayadsa, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1986.
7. Ahmad Ali Hussein Abu Jabir, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1986.
8. Samir Ibrahim Mahmoud Abu Niama, from Ramallah, detained in 1986.
9. Muhammad Adel Hasan Dawood, from Qalqiliya, detained in 1987.
10. Bashir Abdullah Kamil al-Khatib, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1988.
11. Mahmoud Othman Ibrahim Jabarin, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1988.
12. Jumaah Ibrahim Jumaah Adam, from Ramallah, detained in 1988.
13. Mahmoud Salim Suleiman Abu Kharabish, from Ramallah, detained in 1988.
14. Samir Salih Taha Sirsawi, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1988.
15. Raed Muhammad Sharif al-Saadi, from Jenin, detained in 1988.
16. Faris Ahmad Muhammad Baroud, from Gaza, detained in 1991.
17. Ibrahim Hasan Mahmoud Ighbariyya, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1992.
18. Muhammad Said Hasan Ighbariyya, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1992.
19. Yahya Mustafa Muhammad Ighbariyya, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1992.
20. Muhammad Twfiq Suleiman Jabarin, holder of Israeli ID, detained in 1992.
21. Diyaa Zakariyya Shakir al-Falouji, from Gaza, detained in 1992.
22. Muhammad Fawzi Salamah Falinna, from Ramallah, detained in 1992.
23. Nasser Hasan Abdul-Hamid Abu Srour, from Bethlehem, detained in 1993.
24. Mahmoud Jamil Hasan Abu Srour, from Bethlehem, detained in 1993.
25. Muhammad Yousif Abdul-Jawad Shamasnah, from Jerusalem, detained in 1993.
26. Abdul-Jawad Yousif Abdul-Jawad Shamasnah, from Jerusalem, detained in 1993.
27. Alaa Addin Fahmi Fahd al-Karaki, from Hebron, detained in 1993.
28. Mahmoud Mousa Issa Issa, from Jerusalem, detained in 1993.
29. Nael Rafiq Ibrahim Salhab, from Jerusalem, detained in 1993.
30. Muhammad Ahmad Abdul-Hamid al-Tous, from Hebron, detained in 1985.