Hours after Sheik Awadh al-Qarani promised a reward of $100 000 to anyone who captured an Israeli soldier, a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family, with ties to Rupert Murdoch, offered to raise that offer by $900 000 to make it $1 million. These offers follow the release of Israeli soldier, Gilad Schalit, who was held by Hamas in Gaza for more than five years.

Prince Khaled bin Talal, the brother of business tycoon and Fox News co-owner, Walid bin Talal, made the offer during a telephone call to state television channel Daleel on Saturday.

It has immediately raised questions about just who Rupert Murdoch does business with, because Murdoch’s News Corporation essentially owns the other half of Fox News.

It also follows a prisoner exchange agreement earlier this month of more than 1 000 Palestinians being freed for the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

According to a transcript of the telephone call published on Daleel’s website, Prince Khaled claimed the following:

Dr Awad al-Qarni said he was offering $100 000 to only take a prisoner but they responded by offering $1 million to kill Awad al-Qarni. I tell Dr Awad al-Qarni, ‘I will be in solidarity with you and pay the remaining $900 000 to take an Israeli soldier prisoner so that other prisoners can be freed.’

The threats and bounties have gone both ways, and it appears they may have originated in Israel first.

According to reports, Israeli extremists have offered two rewards of $100 000 to anyone who kills a Palestinian released in the Schalit deal, if the Palestinian had previously killed Israelis.

[Source: Reuters]