It appears that if a deal is not signed to actualize a prisoner release to bring Gilad Shalit home, Premier-designate Binyamin Netanyahu does not plan to replace Ofir Dekel, at least not for some time.

Dekel, a former deputy director of the Shin Bet, has been acting in the capacity of a special envoy of the prime minister, dealing with Hizbullah and Hamas in negotiating prisoner release deals. He played a pivotal role in the Goldwasser/Regev prisoner release deal with Hizbullah and has been the closed advisor to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vis-à-vis efforts to bring Gilad Shalit home.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)