45 Israeli-Arab families from the Galilee submitted a request to the National Insurance Institute (NII) on Monday asking to be recognized as victims of terrorism. The families were all involved in a bus crash in the Sinai Peninsula last year in which 11 people were killed and dozens were wounded. The families claim that their bus driver deliberately crashed in an act of anti-Israeli terrorism.

In their request, the families said that as the driver took them towards Israel on August 22, 2006, he began harshly criticizing them for being Israeli citizens and for cooperating with Jews. The driver called them “trash of the Jews,” they said, and warned that the ride would be their final journey. Survivors claimed to have seen a vehicle waiting near the scene of the crash spirit the hostile driver away immediately thereafter.

An Egyptian court later sentenced the bus driver to one year in prison. In reaction to the news of the sentencing, in September 2006, families of those killed in the crash held a spirited demonstration outside the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv. Demonstrators called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the people of Egypt “cowards,” and characterized the government there as “terrorist.” One bereaved mother told the press that the Egyptians should “learn from Israel about human rights.”

The Israeli-Arab tourists from Nazareth were traveling in one of four buses in a convoy on a tour organized by a Galilee group. The buses were returning to Israel from a trip to the Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh at the time of the crash. Their driver and two tour guides were Egyptian citizens.

Many of the crash victims have argued for months that the crash was a planned act of terrorism. They are now pressing the NII in order to receive compensation as victims of terrorism. In 2006, the NII paid a total of NIS 360 million to terror victims and their families.

Director of Almagor Terror Victims Association Meir Indor noted that only the General Security Services (Shabak) and Israeli police can investigate and determine if this incident was a terrorist attack. Indor charged that otherwise, it could be that a few lawyers who want to cash in on Israel’s public coffers started this initiative and are basing it on the claim that the bus driver shouted at the bus passengers. “If a speeding bus driver who shouted at his passengers has a wreck, does that make this a terror attack and obligate the Israeli tax payers to pay for the damages,” asked Indor.

At the time of the incident, Egyptian authorities refused to allow Israeli first responders into the Sinai to provide assistance. The Egyptians behaved similarly in April 2006, after three explosions ripped through the Red Sea resort town of Dahab, in a massive terror attack by Al-Qaeda linked terrorists. 24 people were killed in that attack and dozens were injured. In October 2004, at least 33 people, 13 of them Israelis, were killed and well over 100 were wounded in three attacks on two Red Sea holiday resorts packed with Israeli tourists.

The Almagor group for victims of terrorism harshly criticized a recent Supreme Court decision on Wednesday, saying that the court discriminated against Jews by putting ease of passage for Arabs over the safety of Jewish lives. The court ruled that the IDF must immediately destroy a 40-kilometer concrete barrier along route 317 in Hevron. The court rejected the IDF’s argument that the barrier was necessary for security, and said it must be removed to allow local Arabs easy access to grazing grounds on the other side, despite the army’s willingness to put passageways in the barrier every 200 meters.

“Before their ruling to destroy a wall in which hundreds of millions of shekels were invested,” Almagor head Meir Indor said, “it would have been appropriate for them to visit some of the bereaved families who lost their loved ones to murderous shooting attacks along the highway before the wall was built.” Among such survivors are the Dickstein family’s nine children, whose parents and brother were shot and murdered in 2002, the Har Sinai family, whose father and husband Yair was murdered in 2001, and the wife and five children of Yossi Shok, who was shot and killed on route 317 in 2005.

Speaking from the Ketziot prison, where over 250 terrorist prisoners were released this morning, terror victims’ activist Meir Indor says many Israelis are disgusted at the idea.

Indor, head of the Almagor Terror Victims Association, was on hand to watch the 255 terrorists being released. “I came with just one other person,” he said, “a man whose son was murdered by terrorists several years ago and who came straight from visiting a monument to his son, and yet the authorities here didn’t let us come near the reporters. They called this mission ‘Fresh Breeze,’ and they didn’t want to let anything ruin the refreshing atmosphere …”

“But I can tell you,” Indor continued, “that even though the politicians and the higher-ups in the army and those who are waiting to be promoted don’t object to this release, the fact is that as you go further down in the army and security forces, there is a lot of opposition and disgust. In the Supreme Court, as well, at least one judge – Elyakim Rubenstein [the lone dissenting voice in the 2-1 decision upholding the release] – showed, let’s say, dissatisfaction with the release.”

“You can also tell by the talkbacks on the websites,” Indor said. “Opposition to this deal is very widespread … It’s just a terrible deal for Israel. And the authorities tried to hide its full extent. Even today, the commander of the southern region of the Israel Prison Service was quoted as saying that all the prisoners to be released had served 70% of their time – when in fact he’s either stupid or a liar. About 3/4 of them have served only between a third and a half of their sentences, and we showed this in the Supreme Court yesterday!”

“We also forced the State’s representative to admit that several of them were repeat offenders. Judge Rubenstein asked, ‘Don’t you think that this is an indication that they should not be freed?'”

Later, Indor was allowed to speak with reporters, and he expressed satisfaction at having been able to explain his case to several news outlets. “I don’t wage these battles in order to win,” he said, “but merely in order to hopefully ensure that the next time, more terrorists will remain in prison.”

Gesture to Abu Mazen

The 255 prisoners were freed today as a gesture by Prime Minister Olmert to Fatah leader and Palestinian Authority chairman Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas), in order to strengthen his waning stature. Olmert promised the release four weeks ago at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit with Abbas, Jordan’s King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

“Olmert just threw out the number 250,” Indor said, “and then told the security services to deal with finding the right ones. And then when they came up with a list, Olmert behaved like a gangster and said, ‘That would be insulting to Abu Mazen. I need bigger fish!’ And so they gave him bigger fish – people who placed bombs, who used to be sentenced to 20 years and now are sentenced to only 10, and now they got out after 3-4 years, just because they were lucky and the bomb didn’t kill anyone but only damaged the car. And they included attempted murderers, and those who fired shots and missed, etc.”

Reminded that the terrorists signed a commitment not to return to terrorism as a condition for being released, Indor said, “We have 196 families whose loved ones were murdered by terrorists who were once in prison. The lesson is simply not learned, and we see that Olmert’s decisions are made hastily, not only in last summer’s war, but here as well.”

Fatah claimed on Friday morning that 30 of the 255 freed prisoners were Hamas members, but both Israel and Hamas denied this.

Scattered Throughout Yesha

The terrorists were taken to the Bituniya checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, from where buses took them to the various area of Judea and Samaria. The release of one terrorist was canceled when he was found to be a Hamas member, and that of another one was delayed when he refused to sign the commitment; he was finally persuaded to do so, and was freed.

On hand to greet the freed prisoner terrorists outside Ramallah was Arab-Israeli Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi, together with Abu Mazen and others.

Among the 255 is Abdel Rahim Mallouh, who was Deputy Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Mallouh’s PFLP terrorists were behind the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi, the suicide bombing in a pizzeria in Karnei Shomron, murdering two teenagers, and more. Mallouh, a personal friend of Abbas, was sentenced to seven years in prison, and was scheduled to be released two years from now.

In another Olmert gesture to Abu Mazen, 178 wanted Fatah terrorists have been taken off of Israel’s wanted list for the coming three months, unless they are found to be actively engaging in terrorism. If they succeed in acting peacefully for the next three months, their names will then be taken off the wanted list permanently.

RAMALLAH – Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Friday that the PA would continue to seek the release of all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, during a festive ceremony in Ramallah welcoming the 255 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel several hours earlier.

“Our work must continue until every prisoner returns to the his home,” he said at a welcoming ceremony for the prisoners in Ramallah.

“You cannot imagine how happy we are that you came back to us,” Abbas told a crowd of about 3,000 at the presidential compound. “But our happiness is missing something because we want all 11,000 prisoners to return to their families.”

Israel released the prisoners Friday morning as a goodwill gesture meant to bolster Abbas in his power struggle with Hamas.

For Palestinians, the prisoners are heroes in the struggle for statehood, and large-scale prisoner releases are seen as an effective way for Abbas to win popularity and support. However, Israel refuses to free inmates serving time for wounding or killing Israelis. None of the prisoners being freed Friday were directly involved in attacks on Israelis, according to Israeli officials.

Israel Prison Service buses brought the freed prisoners to Beitunia checkpoint near Ramallah, where they were loaded onto Palestinian buses and brought to the West Bank city.

Some of the freed prisoners kissed the ground when they got off the Israeli buses, and they were handed Fatah hats and Palestinian flags when they arrived at Beitunia, Israel Radio reported.

All the prisoners were released by around 8 A.M., mostly from Ketziot prison in the Negev, according to the report.

“I’m very happy, it’s a great day for me,” said 18-year-old Shadi Barawshi, released two years into a five-year sentence. His tearful mother said: “I can’t believe he’s standing in front of me now.”

Muhannad Jaradat, who spent 18 years in jail, hugged his mother and said: “I will not leave you, mother.”

Israel was scheduled to free 256 prisoners, but the release of one of them was delayed at the request of security officials. According to the radio, his release was canceled due to the fact that he switched to Hamas while in prison.

Most of those freed are from Abbas’ Fatah movement.

Prominent among the freed prisoners is 61-year-old Abdel Rahim Malouh, second in command in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which assassinated Israeli minister Rehavam Ze’evi in 2001. Malouh at first refused to sign a form saying he would refrain from any terror activity in the future, without which he could not be released, but changed his mind when Abbas intervened personally, a PFLP lawmaker said.

All the prisoners signed the forms, were examined by a doctor, and met International Red Cross representatives.

Palestinian Prisoner Affairs Minister Ashraf al-Ajrami said that, while the majority of inmates belonged to Fatah, a handful of the 255 freed were Hamas members. In addition, Kedura Fares, who heads Fatah institution in charge of prisoners’ welfare, said he identified at least one Hamas and five Islamic Jihad members on the list. A Hamas spokesman in Gaza denied the report, however.

Palestinian officials welcomed Friday’s release, and said they hoped more inmates would be freed soon.

“This release breaks the ice between us and the Israelis on the issue of prisoners,” said Ziad Abu Ein, the Palestinian deputy minister of prisoner affairs.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the cabinet this week that the decision to free the prisoners was made only after checking with security officials.

“This gesture is appropriate – thus are we changing the reality in the Middle East,” Army Radio quoted Olmert as telling the cabinet. “We want to use all means of encouragement and go in the direction of real dialogue regarding arrangements between us and the Palestinians.”

Israeli prisons holding Palestinian inmates have been put on high alert in view of fears that the prisoners who are not about to be released and others identified with Hamas might turn violent in protest against the prisoners’ release.

Israel holds about 9,200 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom were arrested during the past seven years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting. Almost every Palestinian family has had a member in Israeli jails at some point, and the fate of the prisoners is one of the most emotionally charged issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Friday’s release took place after the High Court of Justice rejected a petition by the Almagor Terror Victims Association against the move, Army Radio reported.

“The prisoner release is a foolhardy move that gambles with the lives of Israeli citizens,” Almagor said in its petition.

The justices ruled Thursday that the release of Palestinian prisoners was a political issue to be decided by the relevant government authorities, not by the court. Justice Elyakim Rubinstein dissented, saying the release should be delayed so the matter could be examined in depth.

The Israel Prison Service (IPS) has completed its preparations for the release of 256 Palestinians prisoners. According to the plan, IPS buses carrying the prisoners will arrive at the Bitunia crossing in the West Bank at 10 am Friday, and the prisoners will be transferred to the Palestinian Authority.

The IPS has been preparing for the move since the decision was made to release 256 prisoners and their names were published.

Some 150 prisoners were jailed in the Ketziot Prison and another 100 were held in different jails across the country. Six female prisoners were jailed in the Sharon Prison.

The 100 prisoners jailed across the country were transferred to the Ketziot Prison ahead of their release and underwent last identification checks.

Warden Eli Gabizon, commander of the IPS’ southern districti, said that according to the government decision, all the prisoners slated to be released are prisoners with no blood on their hands, residents of the West Bank, Fatah members, and have served 70 percent of their jail term.

A day before their release, the prisoners underwent medical tests and met with Red Cross officials. They also signed a commitment not to engage in terror after the release. One of the prisoners who refused to sign the document changed his mind and signed it after it was made clear to him that the commitment was part of the release.

According to Gabizon, early Friday the prisoners will be handcuffed and taken by bus under tight security to the Bitunia crossing, where they will be transferred to the Palestinian Authority. The six female prisoners will be released from the Sharon Prison and will also be taken to the crossing.

Palestinians Preparing Modest Welcome

The prisoners will be taken by bus to the Muqataa compound in Ramallah, where they will be greeted by top PLO and PA officials, headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is expected to congratulate them on their release.

From the Muqataa the prisoners will be transferred to their homes. A humble welcome is expected in many places, as PA officials have said in recent days that they were not satisfied with the list as it had been decided one-sidedly by Israel.

Ziad Abu Ein, a senior Fatah official in the territories and the director-general of the Palestinian ministry for prisoner affairs, said that although the PA was pleased to see any prisoner released, it had expected a different list in terms of the severity of the freed prisoners’ sentences and the type of prisoners released.

Abu Ein said that the list was not enough to restore the Palestinian people’s trust in the diplomatic process, adding that it encouraged extremism as it conveyed the message that Israel only agrees to release “heavy” prisoners when Israelis are kidnapped.

The prisoner release was approved by the High Court of Justice on Thursday evening. Rejecting a petition filed by the Almagor Terror Victims Association, the judges said that the release was a government decision and that they must not interfere in it.

The decision was made according to the ruling of Deputy Supreme Court President Eliezer Rivlin, who was joined by Justice Salim Joubran. Justice Elyakim Rubinstein opposed the decision.

Rubinstein wrote that he could not agree with his colleagues, and asked to issue a conditional order, claiming that all the required explanations for this sensitive issue had not been received.

“I reviewed the list of the candidates for release published by the Justice Ministry on the internet, which I believe most of the public does not review. A significant number of them were convicted for the most severe and serious offenses, such as shooting at a person, attempting to intentionally cause death and even attempted murders, not to mention offenses of using weapons or planting a bomb.”

According to Rubinstein, the people on the list were not “go-getters or people convicted of smoking inside a cinema.”

In a decision handed down on Thursday, the High Court of Justice rejected a petition against the planned release of 256 convicted and imprisoned terrorists. The petition was filed by a terror victims’ association, Almagor, which sought an interim injunction against the mass release until the government provided more details on the prisoners’ backgrounds.

The majority opinion, drafted by Deputy Chief Justice Eliezer Rivlin, focused on the issue of the court’s lack of jurisdiction in the case: “We found no cause to intervene in the decision of the [State]. In this instance, as in similar previous cases in which the government decided to release prisoners prior to completion of their sentences, the matter is a policy decision that the government is empowered to make, acting within the sphere of its responsibility, and basing its decision on a totality of the security and policy considerations which that entails.”

Justice Rivlin wrote that the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed in several precedents that the decision to release Arab terrorists from jail in the context of international diplomacy “is an essential act of state and one in which the court will not intervene. It is a matter for the consideration of the competent authorities …”

Justice Elyakim Rubinstein disagreed with the majority and felt that a temporary injunction against the release of the Palestinian Authority terrorists should be granted. In his dissenting opinion, Justice Rubinstein wrote, “In my view, with all due respect to the efforts made by the state’s attorneys in a short time-frame, we have not received the necessary full explanations in this sensitive matter …”

Justice Rubinstein went on to describe the serious crimes for which the terrorists on the release list were jailed, calling them “among the most serious and severe offenses.” He noted that, in a similar case from over two years ago, terrorists were released from jail in the hope that the PA would thus be encouraged to combat terrorism; however, the Justice asked, “Has the Palestinian Authority government acted against terrorism during these two and a half years in such a way that there may have been some purpose in that previous prisoner release?”

Justice Rubinstein wrote that the court was simply not given sufficient information to judge whether all considerations were, in fact, weighed by the relevant authorities in the decision to release the terrorists in question. “In order to make a sound judgment, we should have been convinced that the respondents’ decision was critical and arrived at reasonably …”

According to a report released by Almagor in March, two thirds of freed terrorists returned to terrorism after their release. Attacks by such freed terrorists over a seven-year period took the lives of 179 Israelis, according a statement released by the organization on Wednesday. The head of the Justice Ministry’s Amnesty Department, Emmy Palmor, said that the recidivism rate among Arab terrorist prisoners granted amnesty and released by Israel was about 17%.

The High Court of Justice on Thursday eveningi rejected a petition filed by the Almagor Terror Victims Association against the release of 250 Fatah prisoners scheduled for Friday.

According to the judges, the release is a government decision and they must not interfere in it.

The decision was made according to the ruling of Deputy Supreme Court President Eliezer Rivlin, who was joined by Justice Salim Joubran. Justice Elyakim Rubinstein opposed the decision.

Justice Rivlin wrote in the decision, “We did not find a reason to interfere in the State’s decision.

“In this case, like in previous and similar cases in which the government decided to release prisoners before they have completed their sentence, we are talking about a political decision subject to the authority of the government, which is operating as part of its responsibility and forming its opinion according to the overall security and political considerations involved in the matter.”

Justice Rubinstein wrote that he could not agree with his colleagues, and asked to issue a conditional order, claiming that all the required explanations for this sensitive issue had not been received.

“I reviewed the list of the candidates for release published by the Justice Ministry on the internet, which I believe most of the public does not review. A significant number of them were convicted for the most severe and serious offenses, such as shooting at a person, attempting to intentionally cause death and even attempted murders, not to mention offenses of using weapons or planting a bomb.”

According to Rubinstein, the people on the list were not “go-getters or people convicted of smoking inside a cinema.”

Justice Rivlin replied, “My friend, Justice E. Rubinstein, has taken trouble to examine the data referring to certain prisoners, and he is elaborating on his important reservations on their matter. This detailed review has already been carried out by the ministerial committee, as the State informed us, and I myself do not see any room for carrying out such a review here.”

PLFP Deputy Secretary-general to Be Freed

The list of the Palestinian prisoners scheduled to be released as part of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s gestures to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was published on Tuesday by the Israel Prison Service (IPS).

Among those scheduled for release is PLFP deputy secretary-general Abdel Rahim Mallouh. Considered the most senior political prisoner arrested since the beginning of the second intifada, Mallouh was one of the more moderate forces in the PLFP.

He was arrested in 2002 during an IDF operation in Ramallah and charged with affiliation in an illegal organization. He was scheduled for release in 2009.

The prisoners’ list was finalized by Olmert and Abbas on Monday and includes prisoners affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic Front from the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and Fatah.

The list was approved earlier Tuesday by a special ministerial committee headed by the prime minister and was posted on the IPS website.

According to the guidelines approved by the government, none of the prisoners scheduled for release have “blood on their hands”.

Those named were jailed for a variety of lesser offenses, including weapons trafficking, possession of ammunition and explosives, affiliation in an illegal organization, attempted murder and aiding and abetting fugitives. The list also includes six women and 11 minors.

All of the security prisons in Israel have upped their level of alertness in anticipation of Friday’s release.

A list of Arab terrorists to be released this Friday has been published, but the Almagor Terror Victims Association says it needs more time to study the names and crimes, and asks that the release be put off.

The release of 256 Arab terrorists imprisoned in Israel is scheduled for this Friday, as part of a series of goodwill gestures by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert towards PA leader Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).

The list of terrorists to be freed has been published, in Hebrew, on the Israel Prison Service website, so that concerned citizens can look up the terrorists’ names and sentences, and register complaints if they wish. The Almagor group, however, maintains that the list is incomplete, in that in some cases, it does not list the specific crimes for which each terrorist was incarcerated. Furthermore, Almagor says it needs more than two days to thoroughly research the names.

For this reason, Almagor has called upon Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to postpone the planned release.

Senior PFLP Terrorist on the List

A prominent name on the list of terrorists to be freed is that of Abdel Rahim Mallouh, who was Deputy Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Though, officially, only terrorists without “blood on their hands” are to be freed, Mallouh’s PFLP terrorists were behind the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi. He was also responsible for the suicide bombing of a pizzeria in Karnei Shomron, murdering two teenagers, as well as other attacks.

Over 200 terrorists on the list were convicted of attempted murder, shooting, or planting a bomb or incendiary material.

Transportation Minister Sha’ul Mofaz continues to be outspokenly against the release of the terrorists. “The list includes many prisoners who cost the security services much hard work to catch,” Mofaz said. “I don’t know why they are being released with such ease.” He added that the release will definitely lead to a higher price for the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit.

PA Rejects, But Will Accept

The PA has announced that it rejects the list, because it was compiled unilaterally by Israel. An official in the PA Prisoners Affairs Ministry said the list includes only prisoners who have been in jail for between one and eight years, whereas the PA demands freedom for those who have been imprisoned the longest – usually murderers.

Israel plans to release the prisoners with or without PA consent.

Families of Jews imprisoned for security related crimes continue to demand that if Arab terrorists are released, their loved ones should be as well.

IsraelNationalRadio’s Walter Bingham reports that Emi Palmor, the Director of Pardons at the Ministry of Justice, revealed to journalists that one of the Palestinian Authority prisoners on the list has asked not to be freed. The terrorist said he wants to remain in prison until his November release date, so that he can continue to receive medication for the alleviation of pain caused by arthritis. The medication, which costs 4,000 shekels ($935) each week, would not be provided to him outside of prison. His request has been granted.

The Almagor organization for terror victims responded to United States President George Bush’s speech on Monday night by saying that Bush had contradicted himself. Bush called for a state run by the Palestinian Authority, but said that such a state could not be based on terrorism. PA leaders made their careers as terrorists, Almagor officials explained, and the PA itself was based on terrorism, meaning that any PA state would have to be based on terrorism as well.

“Even now,” Almagor workers said, “they continue to show concern for murderers and terrorists and to demand their release.” The terrorists released to PA custody almost always return to terrorism, they said. In the PA, they added, “whoever murdered women and children is considered a national hero, a shahid, and his family is seen as worthy of financial support.” Almagor called on Bush to research the number of attacks committed by forces loyal to the PA with weapons purchased with American money before transferring more money to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

A paralyzed terror victim laments to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert his plan to release terrorists who failed to murder Israelis and only wounded them.

Olmert has agreed to grant amnesty to nearly 180 Fatah terror leaders, in exchange for their signatures on a commitment to cease terrorism for three months. If they succeed in giving up terrorism for that period, they will no longer be consider wanted by Israel.

Chana Bart lived with her husband and eight children in Kfar Darom, Jewish Gaza, before being thrown out of her home during the Disengagement/expulsion two years ago. She was paralyzed in the lower half of her body in a terrorist shooting attack in 2002, and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. Two years later – a day after Sharon’s bombshell announcement of his plan to throw the more than 8,000 Jews of Gaza out of their homes – Chana and her husband Eliezer celebrated the brit [ritual circumcision] of their new baby son. They named him Amichai [My Nation Lives] Yisrael.

The scene of Chana carrying her baby to the brit in a wheelchair marked a poignant moment in Gush Kaif history, and was immortalized in films prior to the expulsion.

Mrs. Bart, now living in Ashkelon with many of the other exiled Kfar Darom families, was incensed to learn of Prime Minister Olmert’s planned “gesture” towards Abu Mazen in which 250 Palestinian terrorists would be freed from Israeli prisons. She wrote him the following letter:

“As one who was seriously wounded in a shooting attack on the Kisufim route [into Gush Katif], I would like to know if the government decision to free 250 terrorists ‘without blood on their hands’ includes the release of terrorists who wounded Israelis. Spokesman and ‘leakers’ for the government say that a terrorist who wounded a Jew is not considered to have ‘blood on his hands,’ and can therefore be included on the list of those who can be considered for release.

“The thought of this gives me no rest. I assume that this is true for other terrorism victims as well.

“I ask you, Mr. Prime Minister: Just because I was successful in remaining alive, therefore those wicked men who shot me should be released? I am bound to a wheelchair, and they should be able to walk around free and happy? Just because I managed to survive the inferno from which they planned that I would not come out alive, they should be able to enjoy the rest of their lives calmly and pleasantly?

“In previous terrorist releases, I have been informed [by the Almagor terror victims association] that your predecessors understood that ‘blood on their hands’ means both killing and wounding. They understood that a terrorist who failed to kill but succeeded in wounding his victim, must serve out his full sentence.

“I wouldn’t want you to have to deal for even one week with what my family and I have to deal with day in and day out. Perhaps you will invite me and my family for a talk and you will hear what we go through each day. I can of course only tell you in words what we go through, but the actual pain you won’t be able to feel – but at least you will have some of ‘all of the data’ on your way to make such a fateful decision. It is a decision that has no turning back, except by once again expending great efforts to arrest them once again, at the expense of endangering IDF soldiers.”

The Almagor organization for victims of terrorism has asked the Justice Ministry and the government to release the list of 250 Fatah terrorists expected to be released as a “gesture” to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The group said they would like to verify that none of the prisoners on the list were directly involved in attacks on Israelis.

The group also asked to check that none of the terrorists committed their crimes after peace deals were signed between Israel and the PA, and that none were serving a second or third sentence for terrorist activities. Almagor is asking to see the list at least 48 hours before the actual release.

The cabinet meeting Sunday morning will deal with the 250 Palestinian prisoners to be released per Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s commitment given to regional leaders at the Sharm el-Sheik summit two weeks ago.

However, the ministers will not discuss the names on the list, as Olmert vetoed the names in an original list presented by Director-General of the Justice Ministry Moshe Shilo.

Olmert asked the Justice Ministry to prepare a new list that would not include prisoners who are scheduled to be released shortly. “If we want to strengthen Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas), we cannot release prisoners who are going to be released soon anyway,” a senior official at the prime minister’s office told Ynet.

The new list will probably take over a week to prepare, which means that Olmert will not have the list to show Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at their meeting later this week.

The Almagor organization, which represents families of victims of terror attacks, demanded to see the list of the prisoners intended to be released, in order to “ensure that the list does not contain terrorists who attacked after ceasefire agreements with the PLO, are serving a second or third sentence, or were personally involved in terror attacks on Israelis.”

They requested to receive the list at least 48 hours in advance, in order to have sufficient time to inform the relevant families.

The government’s decision to release prisoners is aimed at strengthening Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. Government officials have said that this has nothing to do with the prisoner release deal in return for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

“This gesture is a manifestation of the prime minister’s goodwill in accordance with the commitment he gave President Bush in Washington to strengthen Abu Mazen. This is done to create a political opening with the Fatah government after the clashes with Hamas,” an official from the government.

In an attempt to return Israel and the Palestinian Authority onto the right track for dialogue Omert and Abbas are scheduled to meet later this week or next week as they said iat the Sharm summit.

The London-based newspaper el-Hayat reported over the weekend that General Omar Suleiman, head of Egyptian intelligence, is scheduled to arrive in Israel for several meetings in Israel and in the Palestinian Authority with the intent of strengthening Abbas.

Suleiman has been active in the attempts to bring about the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. According to reports from Egypt, these negotiations will be renewed shortly, and it is possible that his visit is related to an attempt to promote the deal.

Four Jordanian prisoners who murdered two IDF soldiers in 1990 left the Hadarim Prison Thursday morning for Shiekh Hussein Bridge, where they were to be transferred to Jordanian authorities.

The four were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Captain Yehuda Lifshitz and Staff-Sergeant Pinchas Levi in two different incidents in November 1990.

The prisoners were escorted out of the prison with their hands and legs chained, and transferred to the prison vehicle under heavy supervision.

The release of the four prisoners drew much attention among other security prisoners, and their visiting relatives, some of whom were seen making victory gestures with their hands.

Sufian Akesh, father of a prisoner who was sentenced to seven years for security offences, said, “We share in the joy of the four Jordanian prisoners who are being released today, and hope that our children will finally get out of jail, as these four were released today.”

The decision to release the prisoners came following a request from the Hashemite royal family.

On Wednesday, the High Court rejected a petition protesting the transfer of the four Jordanian prisoners from Israel to Jordan. The appeal against the transfer was filed by the Almagor organization – which represents families of victims of terror attacks – and by Sarah Levy, the mother of one of the deceased soldiers.

Advocates for the petitioners said there was a chance that the four, who are serving life sentences, would be pardoned as early as a year and a half from now, if transferred to Jordan.

An Israeli official said Israel had received assurance from Jordan that the prisoners would serve at least 18 more months in prison after the transfer. However, there has been no additional legal commitment.

The High Court judges, led by Miriam Naor, explained that they had chosen not to get involved in what they considered a political decision, adding that such an action by the government was not aberrant.

Visitors cheering prisoners on Photo: Dalit Shaham

The High Court rejected on Wednesday a petition protesting the transfer of four Jordanian prisoners from Israel to Jordan for the remainder of their sentences. The four, in jail for killing two Israeli soldiers several years ago, will be transferred Thursday morning.

The appeal against the transfer was filed by the Almagor organization – which represents families of victims of terror attacks – and by Sarah Levy, the mother of one of the deceased soldiers.

The four prisoners inflitrated Israel in late 1990. Three got into a gun battle with Israeli troops that resulted in the death of Capt. Yehuda Lifshitz. The last killed Sgt. Pinchas Levy in a separate incident.

In February, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he had accepted a request from King Abdullah II of Jordan to send the four back to Jordan, where they would serve out their prison sentences.

But advocates for the petitioners said there was a chance that the four, who are serving life sentences, would be pardoned as early as a year and a half from now, if transferred to Jordan.

Indeed, an Israeli official said Israel had received an assurance from Jordan that the prisoners will serve at least 18 more months in prison after the transfer. However, there has been no additional legal commitment.

The High Court judges, led by Miriam Naor, explained that they had chosen not to get involved in what they considered a political decision, adding that such an action by the government was not aberrant.

“Naor’s decision epitomizes the continuation of an acceptable, if controversial, government practice in recent years, of allowing the release of terrorists – either as part of a prisoner exchange or as a goodwill gesture,” explained Judge Elyakim Rubinstein.

Nonetheless, he, along with several other judges including Naor, expressed discomfort with the decision, noting that “the murderers of IDF soldiers will most likely not serve out their sentences.” He criticized the Attorney-General’s office for not being clear about the legal future awaiting the prisoners upon arriving in Jordan.

According to Rubinstein, if the government believed that it was appropriate to reduce the sentence of the four murderers, it should have declared so publicly and asked the president to grant them a pardon or reduced sentence, rather than trying to reduce the sentence using different legal rules.

He added that the State’s claim that the petitioners were trying to use a legal façade to promote a political issue was “out of line,” particularly in respect to Sarah Levy.

Yehuda Lipschitz (Photo reproduction)

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in a “gesture” to Jordan’s King Abdullah, plans to release four imprisoned Jordanian terrorist murderers back home to Jordan. A victim’s mother’s plea did not help, but a petition to the Supreme Court might.

The Cabinet approved, in its weekly meeting on Sunday, the release of four Jordanian terrorists from prison. They were sentenced to life in jail for the murder of two IDF soldiers in the Jordan Valley in 1990: Capt. Yehuda Lifshitz and Sgt. Pinchas (Pinny) Levy. The murderers are to serve the remainder of their prison terms in Jordan. Olmert says he chose to rely on King Abdullah’s personal assurance that they will not be released early.

Immediately after the Cabinet decision, the Almagor Terror Victims Association filed a petition with the Supreme Court against the transfer of the four terrorists. A co-signer of the petition was Sarah Levy, mother of one of the two murdered soldiers. She told Arutz-7 that her request to Prime Minister Olmert not to release her son’s murderers was flatly turned down.

“After 2-3 months, they’ll get out of prison and become national heroes,” Mrs. Levy lamented. “[One of them is] only 34 years old; he can start a family and a new life. But my son, on the other hand, is buried in the earth of Mt. Herzl, and I ask why and for what?”

She said she spoke with Olmert and told him she sees no reason at all to let them go free: “He got angry at me for [trying to stop] him from doing it. He said he believes the King that they will not go free. I asked him if he has any guarantee or supervisory mechanism, and he said no, he just believes King Abdullah.”

Neither does Mrs. Levy have great confidence in the Supreme Court, but said she has no other choice but to file the appeal. The Supreme Court ordered the State to submit, by 6 PM Monday, detailed answers regarding the intended release.

Money to the PA

Another Olmert gesture is also getting underway this week: the first of six monthly $59-million dollar payments to the Palestinian Authority of tax monies collected by Israel. Olmert promised Palestinian Authority chairman Abu Mazen of Fatah at the recent Sharm el-Sheikh summit that he would transfer the funds to him; a special mechanism is supposedly being put in place to ensure that the money does not reach Hamas.

The only two dissenting ministerial votes were those of Avigdor Lieberman and Yitzchak Aharonovitch of the Yisrael Beiteinu party. “The new Fatah-led government has no intention … of arresting a single terrorist,” Lieberman explained beforehand.

Israel plans, at present, to give nearly $360 million to the PA over the next half-year. This will leave an estimated $200 million debt, after the deduction of the PA’s gas, electricity and other debts it owes Israel.

Just Desserts

Meanwhile, Palestinian terrorist Iham Kamamdi, the murderer of 18-year-old Eliyahu Asheri from Itamar a year ago, was sentenced to two life sentences today. He kidnapped the boy from a bus stop, killed him and then buried him in a Ramallah yard, and was also convicted of planning a suicide car bomb attack.

Three Islamic Jihad terrorists killed in an Israel Air Force air strike in Gaza over the weekend were long wanted by Israel for major terrorist crimes, including two of the most infamous attacks of recent years.

Ziad Ranem, a leading Islamic Jihad figure in southern Gaza, planned and took part in the murder of Tali Hatuel and her four daughters as they were driving out of Gush Katif on the day of the Likud Party expulsion referendum in May 2004. He also planned an attack in the then-Jewish town of Morag, in which one Israeli was killed and three were wounded. Ranem was in the midst of planning additional attacks when he was killed.

Another now-deceased southern Gaza Islamic Jihad terrorist, Muhammed Raai, fired a missile at an IDF vehicle in May 2004, instantly killing five soldiers as they were about to unload explosives to be used to blow up arms-smuggling tunnels. Pieces of the vehicle and the bodies were scattered over hundreds of meters in various directions. Just 36 hours earlier, a similar attack claimed six other IDF soldiers.

The third dead terrorist, Raad Fuad Ranem, was an expert in preparing explosives used for pipe bombs and Kassam rockets, and was involved in several shooting attacks.

Four additional Arabs were killed on Saturday night in a second Israeli air strike on a terrorist arms-manufacturing lab in Gaza City.

Almagor, the Terror Victims Association, has filed a petition with the High Court of Justice in a bid to stop the government from transferring four Jordanian terrorist prisoners to serve the remainder of their prison terms in their native country.

The four were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of two IDF soldiers in two separate terrorist attacks in the Jordan Valley 17 years ago. The government decided to allow the transfer as a concession to a request by Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Sunday’s court petition was co-signed by the mother of Sgt. Pinchas Levy, one of the two murdered soldiers. The other murder victim was Capt. Yehuda Lipshitz.