Prisoner Release Set for Monday Despite Massive Popular Opposition by Israelis

Despite polls showing that 79% of Israelis oppose releasing more Palestinian prisoners and the poignant protests of families who lost loved-ones to attacks by the same terrorists set to be released, the Netanyahu government is expected to load the next 26 – the third group of that amount – prisoners aboard buses Monday night in fulfillment of its promise to US Secretary of State John Kerry. The issue has become more contentious with the upward spiral of new attacks on Israel, including the death two weeks ago of an Israeli-Arab by sniper fire from the Gaza Strip. Local media speculation has Kerry coming to the region this week to launch is personal peace proposals along with a deal that will see even more Palestinians released and possibly, as a token to Israeli public opinion, release Jonathan Pollard from the US prison where he is serving the 30th year of a life sentence for passing classified documents to Israel in the 1980s. While many object to Pollard being exchanged for terrorists, his release has nevertheless been a cause célèbre among Israelis for decades. 32 prisoners agreed to by Israel will remain for the final release, expected in March or April.