Netanyahu Criticizes Prisoner Release

From the Jerusalem Post:

"This is a wrong, harmful message that will not strengthen the Palestinian Authority. It will only weaken it," Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday in response to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's decision to release Palestinian prisoners.

"[Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, also known as] Abu Mazen will be hurt by such a decision," continued Netanyahu. "Giving them guns and releasing their prisoners is a big mistake."

Olmert announced that Israel would free 250 Fatah-affiliated prisoners at Monday's Sharm e-Sheikh summit with Jordan's King Abdullah, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Abbas and, according to the London-based Al Hayat newspaper, the PA chairman had demanded that Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti be included among the released prisoners.

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