Shalit deal will not be repeated, says Israeli justice minister

Answering a question about Israeli soldiers held in Gaza, Israeli Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked said yesterday that there will not be a repeat of the Shalit deal.

“The government should not be limited by legislation on these matters, but criteria definitely needs to be set,” said Shaked.

Shaked delivered her remarks just three days after Shin Bet’s Yaron Blum – who engineered the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange with the Palestinian resistance – was named as the new coordinator for talks over Israeli soldiers held by Hamas in Gaza.

The right wing Jewish Home minister said that Israeli cabinet members had received the 2012 Shamgar Committee’s report, which reviewed Israel’s prisoner exchanges, but they had not yet examined it.

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“It was on the cabinet table twice but we haven’t gotten around to discussing it,” she said. “I am sure we will have a serious discussion about it and I also hope that decisions will be made.”

Two months ago Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Israel “must not repeat the mistakes made in the Shalit prisoner exchange”. He accused several of the prisoners who were released of carrying out attacks against Israel.