ZIONIST CANDIDATES: WE WILL NEITHER NEGOTIATE WITH HAMAS, NOR RELEASE CAPTIVES

Al Quds, 30 Rabi’ul Akhir 1436/20 February 2015 (MINA) – “As elected PM I would neither release prisoners nor negotiate with Hamas,” Chairman of the Zionist Union Isaac Herzog said Wednesday (18/2).

Speaking during a visit he paid to Gaza-border communities on Wednesday, Herzog said if he were to be elected Israel’s next prime minister he would not “release murderers with blood on their hands and won’t negotiate with Hamas,” Palestinian Information Center (PIC) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

“In order to change the situation, we need to take initiative, and we will work to promote the demilitarization and rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip,” Herzog further claimed

Also Read: President Abbas to Netanyahu during Peres' Funeral, "Long Time No See"

“Netanyahu failed in taking care of security, and we will give the proper response and create a new political horizon,” he added.

He laid out the three central tenets of the Zionist Union’s security platform, including returning security forces to the area after Netanyahu’s government removed them for budgetary reasons, building defense mechanisms like an underground wall to block Hamas’ terror tunnels and “hitting terror hard,” which he said also includes not freeing terrorists or negotiating with Hamas.

Former head of the Israeli military intelligence Amos Yadlin, meanwhile, slammed Netanyahu for releasing Palestinian prisoners as part of peace talks held under the US auspices.

Also Read: Fifth Week, Tens of Thousands of Israelis Demonstrate Netanyahu

In a related development, the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties are expected to announce in the next few days that after the elections, they will recommend that the President charge Binyamin Netanyahu with forming the next government, Channel 7 reported Wednesday.

The reports indicate that Shas decided to support Netanyahu following his announcement that he will cancel criminal sanctions affiliated with the Draft Bill. United Torah Judaism is expected to issue a similar statement.

Netanyahu welcomed the decisions, saying both parties are co-partners in Israel’s political arenas.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu claimed, during a meet-the-press event, that if he is re-elected he will act to remove legislation that allows for the jailing of ultra-Orthodox men who refuse to show up for their national service a move that drew praise from ultra-Orthodox parties who may be key players in Netanyahu’s next coalition.

Also Read: Officials Condemn Israel's Lockdown of Ibrahimi Mosque for 10 Days

During the meeting Netanyahu explicitly declared that he intends to include the Haredi parties in the future government. (T/P006/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)