Last year, in a good-will gesture to Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert handed over prisoners who were serving life sentences in Israel for the murders of two IDF soldiers 18 years ago.

According to the Jordanian media, the four were released from prison on Wednesday. They were serving life sentences for the murders of soldiers Captain Yehuda Lifshitz and Sergeant Pinchas Levy.

It is being reported that after Israel’s agreeing to the Regev-Goldwasser prisoner exchange deal with Hizbullah, Jordanian lawmakers began pressuring for the release of the four.

Lifshitz was murdered in 1990 in an encounter with the Jordanian terrorists during reserve duty. He was 27. In a separate incident, Levy was killed when the terrorists infiltrated into Israel.

Israeli officials report the move is a violation of the deal which took place in July 2007, explaining the terrorists were to serve 18 months in a local prison before their release. Jordanian Prime Minister Nader al-Dahabi stated the move was in accordance with Jordanian law, which makes provisions for early release for good behavior.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)