As negotiations towards securing a prisoner exchange deal to bring Gilad Shalit move forward, there is already a need to begin polling cabinet ministers for the prime minister and defense minister must ascertain if a proposed deal has a chance of passing the cabinet, which according to most, is the case. Even a deal including the release of many of the most heinous terrorists would most likely gain cabinet approval, despite having to pay an extremely heavy price.

While Defense Minister Ehud Barak recently announced “Gilad Shalit will be released, but not at any price,” he is expected to approve any deal presented to the cabinet by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, along with Labor Party ministers. Some of the Yisrael Beitenu ministers are also expected to follow the consensus and as in the past, there appears the cabinet will support a deal, even a so-called heavy one that results in the release of major terrorists with ‘blood on their hands’.

Some of the ministers who made vote against the move include Dr. Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beitenu) but despite his hard-line views, party leader Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is expected to support the deal. Bayit HaYehudi leader Rabbi Dr. Daniel Hirschberg already announced that once the details of a deal are made known to ministers he will consult with a number of people, including rabbonim, and only then will he announce his decision.

Just yesterday Shas leader R’ Eli Yishai stated “for as long as Gilad Shalit is not hear, it appears we haven’t done enough”. He and his party colleagues are expected to support a release deal.

A number of Likud ministers may oppose a deal, but for not at least, it appears any prisoner release deal presented to the cabinet will enjoy a majority vote.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)