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Sunday, April 13, 2008

Shas negotiating with Hamas?

Palestine Press Agency has published pictures purporting to show that Hamas and Shas have been holding secret meetings.

It shows two photos, the first of someone transliterated as Dr. Mark Oliver Turnn, apparently a British official, with Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.



And then another photo of the same person with Shas leader and deputy PM Eli Yishai:



The two photos clearly were not taken at the same time ("Turnn" is wearing a tie in one and not the other) but the implication seems to be that he is mediating between Shas and Hamas, presumably negotiating the release of Gilad Shalit.

Yishai has already said that he would negotiate with Hamas or Hezbollah on the safe return of Israeli soldiers.