Anti-Shalit coup in the Cabinet?

Yesterday, the 1:1,400 exchange for Shalit was eerily close. As a final touch, IDF’s Chief of Staff interrupted his US trip to attend the Cabinet meeting. Israel’s disagreements with Hamas remain negligible—whether the released monsters would be expelled or allowed to stay in the Palestinian-occupied territories.

Then, the government issued a statement citing irreconcilable disagreements with Hamas. It seems that the security establishment revolted against the exchange; it is rumored to be so outrageous that the government wants to keep the prisoners’ list secret.

Olmert the master politician probably staged the almost-successful negotiations to defuse tensions without meaning to actually conduct the deal. The idea would be to make the entire Cabinet, and possibly the nation, reject the exchange.