Military

DATE=7/07/03

TYPE=INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

TITLE=MIDDLE EAST

NUMBER=3-723

BYLINE=KATZ

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

INTERNET=

VOICED AT:

Israel's Release of Prisoners Fuels Frustration Among Palestinians

INTRODUCTION

An Israeli General says Palestinian security forces are beginning to deal with militants planning attacks against Israel. The comment came Monday, after Palestinian officials said they had arrested an 18-year-old woman who they say was planning a suicide bombing in Israel.

Israel says its troops detained six militants from the Islamic Jihad organization, near the West Bank town of Jenin, Monday. Meanwhile, Israel's decision to release just several hundred of its estimated 6000 Palestinian prisoners is being criticized by the Palestinians. Amy Katz has details.

NARRATOR

As Israel started to release about 350 of some six thousand Palestinians it now has in custody, Palestinians took to the streets to register their dissatisfaction with the decision, which they say falls far short of what they demanded, during the recent cease-fire negotiations.

That truce is in its second week. Israel says the release excludes members of militant groups and others who have been involved in attacks against Israel.

Israeli Justice Minister Yosef Lapid met with the Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Minister Hisham Abdel Razik in Jerusalem Monday. Mr. Lapid said Israel understands how important the prisoner issue is to Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, and his government.

YOSEF LAPID, ISRAELI JUSTICE MINISTER

"The Palestinians must understand that we have to go ahead parallel in the peace process. We have to see their attitude towards terrorists. They have to collect weapons. They have also obligations to fulfill and not only to make demands on us."

NARRATOR

Mr. Lapid also said Israel wants to do as much as it can to help Mahmoud Abbas consolidate his government and be able to move forward with the peace process.

Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Minister Razik said his government is disappointed with the Israeli decision to release only a fraction of the Palestinian prisoners.

HISHAM ABDEL RAZIK, PALESTINIAN PRISONERS' AFFAIRS MINISTER

"We think it would have been preferable to refer this question of prisoner releases to the joint ministerial committee which has been established."

NARRATOR

The decision to release the prisoners was made at an Israeli Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem Sunday.

Amy Katz, VOA-TV