It appears a meeting scheduled for Tuesday between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and family members of captive IAF airman Major Ron Arad will not take place. Channel 1 TV News reported on Monday night that the Arad family is uninterested in meeting with the prime minister Tuesday, and a meeting is unlikely in the current days.

The prime minister is expected to tell the family of Arad, who was taken captive in October 1986, that Samir Kuntar is about to be released by Israel in a deal with Hizbullah for the return of IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, resulting in the last bargaining chip towards obtaining Arad’s release being set free.

In essence, the news of Israel’s willingness to release Kuntar signals a government policy change, the abandoning of Ron Arad.

Israel Channel 1 news analyst Yoav Limor reported the Arads told the prime minister that Tuesday is not doable for them, but he adds they are aware of the message Olmert wishes to deliver and it is unlikely they will agree to meet with him in the coming days.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)