Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office have made a request to IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi to halt the process of IDF Chief Rabbi Avichai Ronsky deciding the fate of captive soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. The request comes just days ahead of Sunday’s scheduled cabinet meeting, at which time the prime minister promised Karnit Goldwasser, Ehud’s wife, that the proposed prisoner exchange deal would be put to a vote.

Ashkenazi rejected the request, stated it is the IDF’s right and obligation to review the information in the case and make the appropriate determination.

If Rav Ronsky declares the soldiers dead, the move would complicate matters for the prime minister since the military and intelligence communities are opposed to trading live terrorists for dead bodies.

Following the report, officials in the Prime Minister’s Office denied that Mr. Olmert made any such request.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)