Rally for Gilad Shalit. Still in captivity
Photo: Gil Yohanan
'Shalit law' won't be advanced for now
Ministerial committee to delay discussion of law aimed at preventing Hamas prisoners' visitation rights, as security sources have yet to form final stand
The Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs is expected to delay a discussion on a law aimed at pressuring Hamas
by denying the visitation rights of Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.
Although the proposal is part of the ministerial committee's agenda, security sources involved in the matter have yet to form their final stand. In addition, the negotiations with abducted soldier Gilad Shalit's kidnappers appears to be at a sensitive point, prompting the committee to delay the discussion.
The bill, dubbed "the Shalit law", was initiated by several Knesset members headed by MK Danny Danon (Likud). It was scheduled to be discussed on Sunday.
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Guy Bechor
Chances of securing release of abducted soldier Shalit at this time are slim
According to the motion, a prisoner affiliated with a terror organization which is holding an Israeli citizen or resident in imprisonment conditions and preventing that citizen from receiving visitors, will not be entitled to visitors himself.
Nonetheless, representatives of the Red Cross organization will be able to visit the prisoner once every three months.
The bill's initiators explained that the motion was aimed at correcting the absurd situation in which terror organizations which kidnap Israeli citizens as bargaining chips prevent them from receiving visitors, while members of the same terror organizations sitting in Israeli jails are entitled to visits.
It should be noted that ever since his abduction, Shalit has not been visited by anyone, including Red Cross representatives.
An amendment to the law will prevent such a situation, excluding lawful visits by a lawyer and a Red Cross visit once every three month.
Gilad Shalit was kidnapped into the Gaza Strip 1,106 days ago.
