Israel to release Islamic militants

Israel’s Cabinet voted today to release up to 100 jailed Islamic militants ahead of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s visit to the US.

The move partially satisfies a Palestinian demand in peace talks and strengthens Sharon’s hand ahead of a meeting with US President George W Bush.

Ministers voted 14-9 to authorise the release, reversing government resistance to freeing members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The two groups are responsible for most of the suicide bombings that have killed hundreds of Israelis in three years of violence.

The Cabinet voted hours before Sharon left for Washington for talks on Tuesday with Bush, who is pushing both Palestinians and Israel for quicker progress on the “road map” peace plan to end violence and create a Palestinian state by 2005.

On Friday Bush met Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, the first Palestinian leader invited to the Bush White House.

The Palestinians have been calling for a mass release of Palestinian prisoners, arguing that at least 3,000 of the 7,700 in Israeli jails present no security risk. Israel, however, has moved cautiously, agreeing to release only a few hundred and refusing to free anyone directly involved in attacks on Israelis.

The prisoners to be released under today’s vote are not considered dangerous by the Israeli government.

“In my opinion, the risk is relatively low,” Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz told Israeli Channel 2 television. ”We are not releasing murderers with blood on their hands.”

Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Amr said the move could be considered a step forward in the peace process if followed by other steps, but he said the releases announced today were not sufficient.

“The Israeli side has to understand that releasing a hundred or few hundred out of thousands of Palestinian prisoners is not enough if they stop at that point,” he said.

Israel has also pledged to withdraw from two additional West Bank towns, and today dismantled three roadblocks. At a roadblock outside Ramallah, a crowd of Palestinians cheered as an Israeli bulldozer cleared huge cement blocks from the road.

Government spokesman Avi Pazner said the steps would demonstrate to Bush Israel’s determination to move ahead with the peace plan. He added, however, that Sharon would make the argument that the next step was up to the Palestinians.

“We have now carried out all our commitments under the road map – all of them,” Pazner said. “Now we expect the Palestinians to carry out their part.”

The road map calls for other Israeli moves – such as a complete freeze on construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza and a dismantling of all the outposts erected throughout the West Bank since 2001.

Sharon’s argues taking any further steps is too risky while Israel still faces the threat of attack and the Palestinians must disarms militant groups, as also called for in the road map.

The Palestinians argue that for them to confront the militants the Abbas government must be stronger, a goal served if ordinary Palestinians see more progress on the ground.