Israel to Start Releasing Palestinian Prisoners

　　By CRI Jerusalem Correspondent Zhang Jin
 
　　Twenty-six Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released Tuesday or early Wednesday morning as first to be freed ahead of the renewed peace talks this week.
 
　　CRI's Jordan Lee has more.
 
　　The Israeli Prison Service has published a list of 26 Palestinian prisoners who will be released ahead of the renewed peace negotiations 1 between Israel and Palestine in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
 
　　Israel agreed last month to free 104 long-term Palestinian and Arab-Israeli prisoners in four stages over nine months, depending on progress at the peace talks.
 
　　The decision has been opposed by many Israelis, especially for the bereaved 2 families.
 
　　Many have been demonstrating with the pictures of their lost family members.
 
　　"It cannot be that they will return home as heroes, and we will remain only with the picture. We are here paying the price of the blood of our children."
 
　　Meir Indor, CEO of the Israeli victims organization Almagor, says peace cannot be reached by releasing those who killed people and his organization will do their best to fight against the "big mistake".
 
　　"I'm fighting for peace, in a logic 3 way, in a practical way. There is no question in my eyes that you don't contribute to the system of peace with giving up to those murderers. There is a system of law. You did something bad, you have to pay, otherwise the balance of the whole world is destroyed."
 
　　However, not all people who lost their family members have the same opinion.
 
　　Robi Damelin lost her son David in 2002 when he was serving in the army and killed by a Palestinian sniper.
 
　　For her, reconciliation 4 with the Palestinians is a must for reaching real peace and ending the pain.
 
　　"Peace does not equal justice. It is painful. It is awful, because justice is the core that glues society together. But in this case, we have to give up on being right. Unless you want to continue the circle of violence forever, and your children, and your grandchildren, and your great grandchildren will continue to kill each other. For what? How many people need to die before we get it?"
 
　　On the Palestinian side, although being happy for the release of the prisoners, Qdoura Fares, Director of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, says it is not fair that Israel decides everything.
 
　　"The feeling is not good because first of all they don't mention all the names of the prisoners in which stages they will be released. And we don't know about anything. Everything has to wait for the decision of the Israeli community. If they recognize they are partners, they have to tell us what they are going to do."
 
　　All the prisoners will return to the West Bank and Gaza Strip according to where their families live. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has stressed the continued effort in releasing all detainees held in Israeli jails, stating the issue is of "top priority".
 
　　For CRI, I'm Jordan Lee.