Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., July 20, 2007 Av 5, 5767 | | Israel Time: 16:48 (EST+7)
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Yarden Moreg, left, and Shlomo Dvir, both of the Baty Ayin underground, which planned a bomb attack in an Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem. (Archives)
Last update - 11:22 05/07/2007
Legal aid group to Knesset: Release Jewish terrorists aswell
By Nadav Shragai, Haaretz Correspondent

An organization that helps Jews in legal difficulties due to right-wing activity is demanding the release of Jewish prisoners if Palestinians are let go in exchange for the kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

The organization, Honenu, has submitted to dozens of Knesset members a list of 38 Jewish prisoners it wants pardoned should a deal be reached. Most of the people on the list carried out attacks on Arabs.

These include Jews from the Bat Ayin group, which planned to set off a bomb in the Jerusalem village of A-Tur to avenge the murder of five-year-old Daniel Shefi in the West Bank settlement Adora.

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They also include David Amoyal of Rishon Letzion, who shot and injured two Arabs after the murder of the baby Shalhevet Pas in Hebron.

Honenu members, whose bid is supported by ministers and MKs from Shas, cite cases in which former president Ezer Weizman commuted the sentences of Jewish terrorists when Arab prisoners were released as part of goodwill gestures during the period of the Oslo Accords.

Among other things, the organization cites a letter by former prime minister Ariel Sharon, written when he served as foreign minister in Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, supporting the commuting of Jewish terrorists' sentences when Palestinian terrorists were released.

Forty-five MKs, including Amram Mitzna (Labor), supported that move.

Honenu says in its letter to the MKs that no Jewish terrorist who was released before serving his term has attacked Arabs again. It also objects to equating the two kinds of terror.

Although the organization does not justify "Jewish terror," it says that such acts derived from factors such as erroneous judgment or personal bereavement.

The High Court of Justice rejected a petition submitted some 10 years ago by Jewish prisoners who had carried out terror attacks on Arabs. The petitioners wanted the government to stop releasing Palestinian prisoners without releasing the Jews as well.

The right wing lobbied president Weizman, who commuted the sentences of numerous prisoners, including that of Yoram Skolnik, who had murdered a bound Palestinian suspect.

Also on Honenu's current list are four border policemen who sought revenge after losing five colleagues in an alley in Hebron. They were charged with killing an Arab who they claimed had died after he jumped off their jeep.

Others on the list include Ami Popper, who murdered seven Arab laborers and was sentenced to seven life sentences before his term was commuted to 40 years, and Shai Dromi, who killed a Bedouin who broke into his farm.

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  1.   Logic? Yes. Sympathy? No. 03:06  |  Judge 05/07/07
  2.   if not, REVOLUTION will happen 03:12  |  Radu 05/07/07
  3.   Freedom 03:12  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 05/07/07
  4.   GREAT!! THIS MAKES THE POINT PERFECTLY! 03:21  |  Nechama 05/07/07
  5.   Shalit trade 03:26  |  Shmuelshachor 05/07/07
  6.   Cry me a river 03:48  |  Omar 05/07/07
  7.   Jewish Militants or freedom fighters not terrorists 03:56  |  Chris 05/07/07
  8.   release 05:23  |  elie 05/07/07
  9.   France wants gesture 05:44  |  * BEN JABO 05/07/07
  10.   Whatever 06:28  |  Natallie Durson 05/07/07
  11.   They belong in Jail 06:42  |  SJ 05/07/07
  12.   #1 - Why not free Jewish terrorists too? 06:49  |  Jeffery 05/07/07
  13.   #2 - Why not free Jewish terrorists too? 06:49  |  Jeffery 05/07/07
  14.   #3 - Why not free Jewish terrorists too? 06:50  |  Jeffery 05/07/07
  15.   #4 - Why not free Jewish terrorists too? 06:50  |  Jeffery 05/07/07
  16.   Just what the region needs, more "hot-tempered" men running free 07:17  |  Virginia 05/07/07
  17.   Excellent Idea 08:12  |  Steve 05/07/07
  18.   JEWISH FREEDOM FIGHTERS..... 09:04  |  THERESA 05/07/07
  19.   #10,The Jewish terrorists are jailed by Israel for breaking Israe 09:24  |  Ruzhena 05/07/07
  20.   If you are going to release hundreds of Homicidal Arabians 09:26  |  Efox 05/07/07
  21.   Shai Dromi should Never have gone to Prison 09:28  |  Efox 05/07/07
  22.   Haaretz, why dont you call them militants instead of "terrorists" 09:35  |  SLAVO 05/07/07
  23.   what Shai Dromi is doing in the list 09:35  |  joe 05/07/07
  24.   a small point 09:38  |  Michael 05/07/07
  25.   release Jews... 09:45  |  me 05/07/07
  26.   How would releasing Jewish terrorists advance Israels interests? 09:54  |  Natallie Durson 05/07/07
  27.   don`t you mean Jewish militants? 10:18  |  Yitzak 05/07/07
  28.   Releasing terrorist Jews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????? 10:20  |  Rafi 05/07/07
  29.   Poor innocent, unarmed Palestinians elected Hamas. 11:00  |  Ruzhena 05/07/07
  30.   Ruzhena # 29- BIG Difference between WW2 Germans and Pals 12:01  |  Klaudia 05/07/07
  31.   LET THEM ROT IN JAIL 12:37  |  rasta 05/07/07
  32.   Free Jewish Freedom Fighters 12:48  |  Stephanie 05/07/07
  33.   To Stephanie in GB 12:58  |  Klaudia 05/07/07
  34.   thats what makes us different 13:06  |  ayn 05/07/07
  35.   #32 - Freedom??? 13:06  |  rasta 05/07/07
  36.   Weird 13:27  |  JJ 05/07/07
  37.   twisted logic 14:23  |  Vato 05/07/07
  38.   No one is offering to trade anything for them. 14:58  |  Apartheid 05/07/07
  39.   In Israel This Is Not A Crime 15:08  |  Yaakov Sullivan 05/07/07
  40.   trade all 38 of them for Shalit 15:12  |  avi 05/07/07
  41.   Do something about your Lawrence complex mr. Sullivan 15:38  |  Maimon 05/07/07
  42.   #11 Isralei terrorists don`t kill Jews! 15:38  |  John Allen 05/07/07
  43.   #18 Yes, it`s the essence of freedom! 15:41  |  John Allen 05/07/07
  44.   #29 Yes....................................... 15:43  |  John Allen 05/07/07
  45.   #34 That is why Israel and the USA has... 15:53  |  John Allen 05/07/07
  46.   #39, a rambling Bush makes more sense than you 15:53  |  rasta 05/07/07
  47.   rasta, I don`t think you understood what I wrote #46 16:24  |  Yaakov Sullivan 05/07/07
  48.   #45 John Allen 16:47  |  Itsik 05/07/07
  49.   #42 John Allen (Dorothy) 16:53  |  Itsik 05/07/07
  50.   #38 Apartheid 16:54  |  Itsik 05/07/07
  51.   Let the JEWISH FREEDOM FIGHTERS go free ! 17:15  |  pace1025 05/07/07
  52.   HAHA! JEws= terrorists Arabs= militants, "activists" 17:38  |  Aryeh 05/07/07
  53.   Militants, Terrorists, Freedom fighters....this confusing stuff!! 17:47  |  Terminator 05/07/07
  54.   Nadav Shragai 17:57  |  adelphis 05/07/07
  55.   #50 then let the Palestinian freedom fighters go free too, 19:01  |  Don Camillo 05/07/07
  56.   Terrorist vs prisoners 21:53  |  Tulli 05/07/07
  57.   NO way Jose 22:30  |  Danite 05/07/07
  58.   "Jewish terrorists" & "Arab militants?" 22:46  |  confused & disgusted 05/07/07
  59.   THEY ARE NOT TERRORISTS, MILITANTS WHO FIGHT FOR THERE FREEDOM 23:52  |  Leeat 05/07/07
  60.   #58 - because Haaretz is the mouthpiece for the PA 00:30  |  pace1025 06/07/07
  61.   OMAR ISRAELI PARENTS DONT KILL THEIR CHILDREN 00:45  |  TOBIA 06/07/07
  62.   Sorry - but no 02:51  |  Dr David I. Gross 06/07/07
  63.   Free Them All, I Agree 03:44  |  Bernie 06/07/07
  64.   The argument would appear to be... 04:12  |  Colin Wright 06/07/07
  65.   To #9 Jabo...France wants... 04:37  |  Shmuelshachor 06/07/07
  66.   to #22 WHY? 04:43  |  Shmuelshachor 06/07/07
  67.   re: Bernie 04:56  |  Efox 06/07/07
  68.   re: Danite 05:08  |  Efox 06/07/07
  69.   re: Colin Wright 05:12  |  Efox 06/07/07
  70.   No one with blood on his hands should be released! 05:21  |  Judge 06/07/07
  71.   #55, Don Camillo 07:17  |  Silvienne 06/07/07
  72.   the TRUTH about Jews is here 07:18  |  tony 06/07/07
  73.   #62, Dr. David...Well, look at this.... 07:19  |  Silvienne 06/07/07
  74.   Omar, cry me a river... 07:24  |  Silvienne 06/07/07
  75.   #46, good for you, Rasta! 07:26  |  Silvienne 06/07/07
  76.   #47, Yaakov.... 07:29  |  Silvienne 06/07/07
  77.   #61, Tobia 07:32  |  Silvienne 06/07/07
  78.   #16 Virginia - Yes, there is a Santa Claus 18:26  |  *BEN JABO 06/07/07
  79.   #50 Camillo/Clickfool 18:28  |  * BEN JABO 06/07/07
  80.   2 out of 3 aint bad but 21:08  |  Dr David . Gross 06/07/07
  81.   "Arab terrorists" and "Jewish prisoners" 16:39  |  Elkana 20/07/07
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