Israel Not Likely to Negotiate with Kidnappers

It is not likely that Israel will negotiate with the terrorists who kidnapped the three yeshiva boys last Thursday, according to a report broadcast on Israel's Channel 2 TV.

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzachi Hanegbi told the interviewer on Sunday that such a scenario would be unlikely, “from all indications” thus far. A prisoner swap would not be negotiated at this time, Hanegbi said.

Likewise, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman has said that negotiating a prisoner swap to free terrorists in an early release scenario would not be under consideration at this point, especially in light of the recent legislation approved in a first reading in the Knesset that bars such a move.