Prisoners from pre-1948 Palestine, now Israel, were also part of a national struggle. Their Israeli citizenship has never negated their national identity or their commitment to the Palestinian cause. Their release would also have a positive impact on the Palestinian population within Israel. They too are significant forces for peace. Nor must political or factional affiliation be adopted as a gauge for the release of prisoners.
Political pluralism is an essential component of democracy, as is the right to dissent.
Discrimination on the basis of political allegiance would deepen the sense of injustice and exclusion among the opposition and create further rifts within the Palestinian body politic. The integrated and comprehensive approach, with an internal cohesive logic, is the only successful peace-making mode. The constituency for peace is formed incrementally, systematically, and consistently. It is this constituency that will make peace a sustainable endeavor and translate it into tangible realities rather than sporadic attempts marked by recurrent breakdowns and crises.