Israel Frees 159 Prisoners in a Gesture of Good Will
By Greg Myre -- The New York Times
Wednesday, December 28, 2004----
ERUSALEM, Dec. 27 - Israel freed 159 Palestinian prisoners on Monday, in a move the Palestinian leadership welcomed while calling for the releases of thousands more who remain jailed.
Israel described the prisoner release as a gesture to Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak, after the recent freeing of an Israeli who had been convicted of spying and imprisoned in Egypt.
But the Israeli action was also seen as a modest good will offering directed toward Mahmoud Abbas, the favorite in the Jan. 9 presidential election to replace the late Yasir Arafat as leader of the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinian leaders have previously described similar prisoner releases as public relations moves. But Mr. Abbas said he supported the action and hoped that it would lead to freedom for many Palestinians serving long sentences.
"I respect the release of every prisoner, but we need a serious release process," he said. "What we are looking for is the release of those have spent many long years in jail."
More than 100 of those freed were being held for security-related offenses, though they had not harmed any Israelis. About 50 had been picked up for being in Israel without permission. Most were near the end of their sentences, Palestinians said.
"It's a mixed joy for me because I'm leaving behind colleagues in jail," said Ziyad Kahla, adding that he had served 40 months of a 54-month sentence after a conviction for harboring criminals. He was among a group released near the West Bank city of Ramallah.
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