SHALIT UPDATE

Did He Make A Mistake, or Was He Pushed? (NYSun)

"The editor of Palestinian affairs for the London-based Egyptian newspaper Al- Hayat said on Tuesday that its report claiming that kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit was transferred to Egypt was incorrect," the Jerusalem Post reports.

On Monday night, the paper reported that Shalit had already been transferred to Egypt as part of a deal to secure his release. According to the article, Shalit was handed over to Egypt days before in exchange for Israel's guarantee to release 800 Palestinian prisoners in three stages.

Now Al-Hayat is well connected and is known to be the paper of record for the Arab diaspora, and this would seem to be pretty simple story for the paper to confirm with its sources in the Egyptian government. What could explain such a major mistake? We wonder whether the Egyptian regime encouraged the editor (made his paper an offer they couldn't refuse) to retract his story.

Because if Shalit is in Egypt, then unless Egypt immediately frees him they're guilty of aiding terrorists. It would be seen as a violation of their peace treaty with Israel, and Americans might question (if they haven't already) why $1.6 billion of their tax dollars a year are flowing to help the Egyptian Pharaoh rule.