Prevent Premeditated Murder Through Due Process. The Israel government decision to free 104 convicted murderers from Israeli jails must not interfere with due process that would apply to any convicted felon, Jew or Arab, who would ask the court to shorten his sentence.
There must now a public outcry, to demand that the Israel judicial system abide by procedures that would apply to any convicted felon who asks for commutation of a sentence, for any reason..
There must now a public outcry, to demand that the courts of Israel conduct a standard “risk assessment” for each convict, before the courts allows the felon to return to society.
There must now a public outcry, to demand that the courts of Israel make an objective determination, to discern if each felon, convicted of first degree murder, would constitute a threat to society if he were to be set free.
Until now,
debate in Israel has focused on whether or not terrorists should be set free..
Now the focus must change, to demand that Israel run its penal system based on due process – not on political considerations.
The court system in Israel owes it to both Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel to discern who amongst the felons set to be free may be bound on a path of premeditated murder.
David Bedein
Director
Israel Resource News Agency
Center for Near East Policy Research
Beit Agron
37 Hillel Street
Jerusalem 94581 Israel
Shin Bet Director Yoram Cohen expressed reservation regarding the release of 104 security prisoners, stating that “their release will damage security, both in terms of immediate threat to public safety and in terms of an erosion of deterrence.”
Nonetheless, Cohen noted that resuming peace talks with the Palestinians will have a positive effect in “calming Judea and Samaria, especially in regards to activists affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, such as the Tanzim group.”
The Shin Bet chief handed the government a list of prisoners divided into three categories: Prisoners the Shin Bet believes can be released, prisoners who should not be released and prisoners who should be released to Gaza or deported.
The list was divided in accordance with the level of threat each prisoner poses to public safety, in the eyes of the intelligence organization.
Cohen also submitted recommendations to minimize risks pertaining to prisoners who are released.
The Shin Bet was updated on the issue of prisoners’ release last week, and after reviewing their profiles determined that all were murderers “with blood on their hands” from various organizations and regions. The organization thus fears they might commit additional crimes.
The Shin Bet noted that the organization was not required to inform the cabinet whether it supported or opposed the decision, but was rather only asked to review the manner in which the decision is to be implemented.
The cabinet approved Sunday the release of 104 security prisoners with a majority of 13 ministers voting in favor, and seven ministers opposing the decision. Ministers Limor Livnat and Silvan Shalom abstained.
According to the resolution, 104 prisoners will be released and a ministerial committee to be headed by Netanyahu and ministers Ya’alon, Livni, Aharonovitch and Peri will be established to supervise the process as part of the negotiations with the Palestinians.
