Families of Jewish security prisoners met on Thursday with HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita, ahead of the Rav’s meeting with President Shimon Peres. The concerned families were asking the Rav to intercede with the president on behalf of their loved ones, seeking a presidential pardon as Israel will be giving pardons to many Arab terrorists during the state’s 60th anniversary celebration.
In addition, families of the eight victims of the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva terror attack sent a letter to the president, thanking him for words of comfort in his letter to them, using the opportunity to request that he pardon Jewish prisoners, to permit them to return home to their wives and children.
They made reference to the president’s intention to pardon Arab terrorists as Israel continues taking steps towards peace with her neighbors, asking that Mr. Peres do the same for the Jewish prisoners.
They point out that in the past year, close to 1,000 prisoners responsible for much pain and suffering to Jewish families have been released, adding to their sorrow, they are among those who feel the pain, requesting on Israel’s 60th anniversary, the same compassion be shown to the Jews in prison.
President Shimon Peres on Thursday night met in Har Nof in the home of Shas Party spiritual mentor, HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita. Also present was Shas leader Minister Eli Yishai.
The president is always a welcome guest at the Rav’s home, an old Shas supporter and friend. It was Shas’ support that assisted Peres in winning the Knesset vote for the presidential post.
Following the meeting between Rav Yosef and Mr. Peres it appears the president nodded that he will pardon some 30 Jewish prisoners serving sentences for relatively light crimes such as opponents to the Gush Katif expulsion.
The Haninu organization released a statement that while the president agreed to release 30 Jews, the government announced an additional 30 Arab terrorists will be pardoned, calling the move a “spit in the face,” adding, “one who spits in one’s face is responsible for the resulting actions.”
According to reports, the president agreed to work towards increasing the number of places in the workplace for members of the chareidi community, as well as assisting in other measures towards lowering tensions between the secular and chareidi communities.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
if arabs killing jews get “pardoned:” and sent back to murder again, how about innocent jews in political prisons in israel? will they be pardoned? there are a number of specific cases, whom peres refuses to pardon for leftist political reasons.