Amid protests by the families of soldiers missing in action in the Gaza Strip, the security cabinet today approved the reconciliation agreement signed by Israel and Turkey by a vote of 7-3. Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman, Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked, and Minister of Education Naftali Bennett voted against.
At the end of the security cabinet meeting, Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Minister of Information Gilad Erdan said, "We have to do more to bring the boys back home, so today I demanded a discussion and decision about worsening the imprisonment conditions for Hamas members, together with the use of other means of pressure, in order to influence the organization to return the missing. The cabinet accepted my position, and will convene within a few weeks to discuss the downgrade in prison conditions."
Erdan added, "My heart is with the Shaul and Goldin families. I met with the parents and family members at the Knesset this week, and I heard their cry. I promised them to come to the cabinet and ask the hard questions before I made my decision, and that's what I did. Erdan also said, "My heart is also with the family of Avraham Mengistu, who is still held in the Gaza Strip."
He explained that he had researched the issue, and had not been convinced that Turkey was capable of forcing Hamas to return the missing men. "But those who say that the letter attached to the reconciliation agreement dealing with the return of the boys from the Gaza Strip does not constitute significant progress in bringing them home are right, and therefore, following my demand, the cabinet will discuss and decide within weeks about the making the conditions of the Hamas prisoners worse as a means of pressure."
The Shaul and Mengistu families this morning went to the entrance of the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, and set up a protest watch. When Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon entered the Prime Minister's Office, a representative of the Shaul family told him, "We won't be like the Shalit family. If the agreement is approved, we'll shut the country down." Relatives of the missing men hung signs condemning the agreement and the prime minister. Among other things, the signs proclaimed, "Bibi's puppet show " and "Let every Jewish mother know that she has left the fate of her children in the hands of the prime minister, who is not worthy of it."
Hadar Goldin's family said, "We express our deep sorrow and disappointment at the decision by the Israeli government to approve the agreement with Turkey without the inclusion of the return of our sons Hadar and Oron, despite what the prime minister promised us. The agreement led by the prime minister was approved undemocratically, and contravenes the basic values of the IDF and Israel since the state was founded. The prime minister has made Hamas a party to an agreement through Turkey, which is the organization's sponsor. In this way, the prime minister is encouraging terrorism and rewarding Hamas."
The families met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who was visiting Israel, and expressed their dismay with the agreement.
Under the agreement between Ankara and Jerusalem, Israel will pay a Turkish fund, which will compensate the families of those injured in the Mavi Marmara incident. In exchange, Turkey will enact a law preventing lawsuits against IDF officers and soldiers involved in the incident. In addition, Israel will lighten the blockade against the Gaza Strip, and allow the entry of humanitarian supplies, while Turkey will restrain Hamas's actions in its territory.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 29, 2016
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