President of Israel Ezer Weizman recently commuted the sentences of Israeli Arabs who perpetrated security offences, and of Jewish prisoners who attacked Arabs.
Aryeh Shomer, manager of the Presidential Residence, emphasised that the sentences were commuted only after the prisoners expressed full regret for their acts. One Arab prisoner was actually released on grounds of ill health.
Minister of Justice Tzachi Hanegbi today published his decision to recommend that the sentences of seven Jewish prisoners convicted of attacking Arabs be commuted. Hanegbi said he was aware that President Weizman had accepted his recommendation.
Hanegbi explained that when freeing, or commuting the sentences of Arab prisoners, there can be no disregarding Jewish prisoners, who committed their "dreadful acts" in the wake of the severe confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians.
He expressed the hope that Yigal Amir, who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, would remain in jail until his sentence had run its full term, since he did not murder out of nationalistic motives, but injured Israeli democracy.
Sources at the State Prosecutor’s Office expressed displeasure at not having been apprised of the Ministry of Justice’s recommendation, even though the accepted practise is to keep them informed.
Jewish prisoners in line to have their sentences commuted include Ami Popper, Yoram Skolnik, Daniel Morali and the brothers Eitan and Yehoyada Kahalani.
Ami Popper was convicted in 1990 of the murder of seven Arab labourers awaiting transport at Rishon LeZion’s Rose Garden junction. Popper was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences for murder. This is the first time his sentence has been commuted. His sentence has now been set at forty years imprisonment.
Published by Israel's Business Arena February 3, 1999