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Israel's Release of Palestinian Prisoners: Deja Vu All Over Again

The release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel seems to be settling into a routine; two more releases are to take place after this one.
A relative hangs a banner depicting Palestinian prisoner Moses Qar'an outside his house, in the West Bank city of Ramallah October 28, 2013.  Israel is to release 26 Palestinian prisoners in the second stage of a deal brokered by the U.S. in July that brought about the resumption of peace talks.  REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX14R4A

It seems like an old, scratchy record: Everyone seems to know what to do and what to say. It first started with disinformation followed by governmental maneuvering and ended with a government decision. Now all that everyone is waiting for is the expiration of the mandatory 48 hours.

The issue is the second group of Palestinian prisoners set to be released under an agreement reached on the eve of the Palestinian-Israeli talks. Palestinians agreed to suspend all attempts to join international organizations as a state in return for Israel releasing 104 prisoners held before the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993.

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