"The release of the Palestinian prisoners is an unprincipled, political act of survival by [Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu," says former minister Moshe Shahal. In the Oslo period, Shahal headed the committee for release of Palestinian prisoners in his capacity as minister of internal security in the late Yitzhak Rabin's government [1992-1996].

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Shahal reveals that the committee he headed had conducted extensive discussions after which it rejected all the Palestinian prisoners who the Netanyahu government decided to release toward resumption of the diplomatic process. Even today, after 20 years, he thinks that they must not be released. Shahal feels that Netanyahu preferred to release prisoners than announce a construction freeze — an act that could threaten his government.

"I ask myself these last few days," says Shahal, "what would have happened if a left-wing government had made such a decision? The Likud [party] in the opposition would have torn us apart; blood would have flowed in the streets. That bothers me very much." In addition, he argues that Netanyahu should not be allowed to agree to release security prisoners who are Israeli citizens because that would imply agreement that they don't recognize the state of Israel.

You have severe criticism of the way in which the Netanyahu government decided to release the prisoners. What was aberrant about that? After all, the government has that kind of authority.