Peres: Schalit negotiations have resumed, but no progress made

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Negotiations to secure the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Schalit have resumed, but no progress has been made, President Shimon Peres said Friday. Speaking on a visit to the Succa of Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar in Rishon Lezion, Peres said a lot more time was needed for a deal and that reaching a prisoner swap agreement depended on the Palestinian side, which, he stressed, was divided. Concerning Iran, the president said that the recent drop in oil prices was a blow to the Islamic Republic and that if the slide continued, the country would have difficulty in bolstering its arms supply.