Dilemmas for Israel in the Release of Palestinian Prisoners

Following the Sharm al-Shaykh summit and the declaration of a cessation of violence issued by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the Government of Israel decided to release 500 Palestinian prisoners. For the time being, the release is restricted to prisoners who have not killed or assisted in the killing of Israelis and who have already served at least two-thirds of their sentence. But the Government also signaled its intention to consider further releases in the future. This decision was intended to be a gesture to strengthen Abbas political stature and to reinforce positive trends in the dynamics of Israeli-Palestinian relations. Nevertheless, decisions about the size, composition, and conditions of the release required Israel to deal with familiar dilemmas stemming from the sensitivities surrounding this issue.