The Israeli government plans to pardon or commute the sentence of several Jewish terrorists who were convicted of crimes against Palestinians, political sources in Tel Aviv said on Sunday.
The decision aims to create a balance to last week’s release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences.
The sources said Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin contacted President Isaac Herzog over the past few weeks regarding pardoning or commuting the sentences of Jewish prisoners in light of the hostage deal, which saw the release of hundreds of Palestinians.
Yedioth Aharonoth reported that Levin presented an official request to Herzog that he consider pardoning or commuting the sentence of Jewish prisoners who were convicted of severe nationalist crimes.
According to Levin, the move would create a balance to the release of Arab prisoners.
The pardons and reduced sentence could involve Amiram Ben Uliel, convicted in 2020 of the murder of three members of the Dawabsheh family in an arson attack in the West Bank village of Duma, and received three life sentences.
The pardon could also include Ami Popper, a Jewish terrorist who committed the Oyoun Qara massacre on 20 May 1990, killing 7 Palestinians at a bus stop in Rishon Lezion, and Hanoch Akiva Rabin, for committing a racial motivated attack against Palestinians in Hawara village at the West Bank, and others.
The newspaper said Herzog objected to some of the names that Levin proposed and is only willing to discuss Popper and an additional prisoner, and in any case, would only commute their sentence and not issue a full pardon.
Meanwhile, the far-right “Honenu” organization is pressuring Herzog and Levin to release about 25 Jewish terrorists convicted of killing Palestinians.
Last week, dozens of far-right activists staged a demonstration in front of the Israeli president's office, demanding the release of Jewish terrorists.
Honenu also seeks to gain the support of Knesset members and rabbis. Reports said Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef asked Herzog to issue an amnesty for Jewish terrorists against the backdrop of the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Ben Gvir
Meanwhile, far-right Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had spent several months in prison for committing terrorist crimes against Palestinians, personally visits these terrorists in prison with a number of right-wing MPs, reports said.
A report by Haaretz published last year said Ben-Gvir supports Jewish terrorists. As national security minister, he uses the power, authority and resources that are at his disposal to protect them, the newspaper wrote.
