(Cabinet Secretariat/IMRA) - (Jerusalem Post) After its first vote ended in a 10-10 tie, the Israeli Cabinet voted 13-8 Sunday to approve the release of several hundred Palestinian prisoners. One Israeli official said that those released will not "have blood on their hands;" will be those the Shin Bet believes do not constitute a danger to Israel's security; and are not members of rejectionist groups. The official said there may be some on the list who carried out terrorist attacks before the 1993 Oslo accords and have served "long sentences." Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein ordered Sharon to publicize the list of prisoners to be released 48 hours before they are set free in order to allow the families of terror victims time to appeal the decision. Rubinstein also said the government should weigh very carefully whether to release prisoners who have been released before, only to have been arrested again. In 1993 the government issued a blanket amnesty for many of the 415 terrorists expelled to southern Lebanon. These former prisoners returned to the West Bank and Gaza armed with expertise after apprenticeships in Hizballah camps on using weapons, rigging bombs, and the art of propaganda. Then in 1995-1997 Israel released about 1,100 prisoners, many of whom reestablished their connections to terrorist groups. (Jerusalem Post) All professional assessments which were submitted to Prime Minister Sharon indicated that releasing prisoners is likely to significantly contribute to the strengthening of Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen, with whom we are negotiating. A strong Palestinian administration will be able to act more effectively against terror. Prime Minister Sharon said that the recommendations to release prisoners would not apply to prisoners with blood on their hands, murderers, those who have attacked Israelis and foreign nationals, or to those who have dispatched them. Similarly, the release recommendations will not apply to those who are currently on trial.
2003-07-07 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive