The Israel Knesset Parliament’s opposition leader, Likud Party Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu met yesterday morning with Shas political party’s spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef at his Jerusalem home. Shas sources noted that the two meet every few months, but sources close to Mr. Netanyahu said they met yesterday to coordinate their position in preparation for the Annapolis summit which is expected at the end of the month.

Shas, a political party representing Sephardic Jews whose families came to Israel from Jewish communities in Arab countries, holds 12 seats in Ehud Olmert’s 78-member coaltion in the Israeli Knesset Parliament of 120 seats.

After the meeting, Mr. Netanyahu reacted to the report that Israel will release 400 Palestinian prisoners before the conference. “The Olmert government is repeating the mistake of the Barak government before Camp David, where Israel gave up everything and got nothing in return. In effect they received suicide terrorism, and today the government of Olmert, Barak and Livni is also going to begin a process of giving up everything, at the end of which we will receive nothing.”

©The Bulletin 2007

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