Palestinian prisoner release scheme: PR or peacemaking?
The Israeli government has just released 500 Palestinian prisoners from its jails, in what is being dubbed the largest release of incarcerated Palestinians for over a decade. The move, overnight, is part of a new ceasefire plan between the two peoples. As part of the deal, the Israel government has also agree to pull out of five West bank towns and also stop the controversial practice of bulldozing the homes of Palestinian suicide bombers. For its part, the Palestinian Authority had agreed to stop its own people from making attacks on Israeli civilians. While the release of prisoners is being painted as a good will gesture by the Israeli government, Palestinian observers remain critical. Ali Abunimah is the co-founder of the Electronic Intafada, an online news service written from the Palestinian perspective. He told The Wire that the prisoner release scheme involved more public relations that peacemaking.