Olmert promises to release prisoners for Ramadan

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared Monday that they wanted "to contribute to the success of the planned international meeting." Official sources in Jerusalem said that the Israeli team would include two representatives from the Prime Minister's Office, a representative from the Foreign Ministry and another representative from the Defense Ministry


Olmert and Abbas are expected to meet again in two weeks, before the Palestinian president attends the United Nations General Assembly Session on September 25.


Abbas asked Olmert during the meeting to release Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture for the holiday of Ramadan. The prime minister promised to release prisoners to the West Bank and Gaza, but the leaders did not discuss the number of prisoners to be released.


Olmert accepted a request made by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who also took part in the meeting, to send aid to security prisoners jailed in Israel, including food, drinks and cigarettes.


Fayyad spokes about his role in building the Palestinian Authority's security and civil organizations, and the future relations between the two governments.

The Palestinians also asked for future security cooperation, and Israel said it would look into this request.


Olmert said that he shared the Palestinians' need to increase the freedom of movement in the West Bank. He promised that the freedom of movement would be felt after the Defense Ministry receives a plan aimed at solving the issue.


The plan for boosting the movement between Palestinian cities is expected to be submitted to the prime minister on Sunday.

Comment: Huh? It's our holiday and we are giving...? What gifts in their celebration of Ramadan are they giving to us in return? Yes, we can solve the freedom of movement issue right after they stop sending teenagers,dressed to kill (homicide bomber belts); right after they stop loading up cars with explosives designed to kill and maim our citizens.Come on Mr. Olmert, it is the holiday time but we did not take "stupid potion" today-you re only spitting rhetoric, unfortunately your associated actions are literally killing us. Every day you act, Mr. Olmert, you display your inability to lead!