Bill to Ban Child-Killers from Prisoner Exchanges

    The following report appeared in the Jerusalem Post on April 20, 2011 but, as far as I know, nothing

came of Silvan Shalom's moral suggestion! If I am wrong about the fate of this proposition, I would appreciate it if at least some of the MKs receiving this email would let me know by return email what happened to it! 

     However, I'm not going to hold my breath as acknowledging citizens' emails, letters and other requests is not one of the strong points of our MKs, mayors and other civil servants, as was pointed out by MK Miki Rosenthal in the August 6, 2013 JPost article "72% of MKs don't respond to public study." (Actually the percentage of non-responders is closer to 100%...!)

     Meanwhile, although some names of the latest crew of terrorist-murderous prisoners to be released (a step defying all DECENCY, JUSTICE, HONESTY and SYMPATHY for the dead or wounded victims and their eternally-mourning families, and indeed for most Israelis who are appalled by these releases) appeared in the Jerusalem Post a week or so ago, there was no reference to the nature of their horrendous crimes...!

Trudy

P.S. I wish to emphasize that actually I vehemently OPPOSE ANY releases of Arab terrorists who have been sentenced to life. As for those who have been sentenced to other periods for 'lesser crimes', they also should not be freed before their time is up. The Americans certainly don't release prisoners before their time, especially one called Jonathan Pollard who has NO blood on his hands...just the opposite.

     I also doubt that terrorist murderers who had caused the death or maiming of the loved ones of all those politicians who vote for such releases, would ever be freed from prison. Indeed, I bet they'd be given death sentences...! Is there anyone around who could prove my suspicions wrong???? Trudy Gefen

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Bill to Ban Child-Killers from Prisoner Exchanges

by Gill Hoffman, Jerusalem Post, April 20, 2011

 

Trade 2,000 for Schalit - but no murderers, Shalom says

 

     The murderers of the Fogel family would NEVER be able to be released from prison, according to a

bill proposed this week by MKs from KADIMA, LIKUD and Labor.

     The legislation, which was initiated by MK Yoel Hasson (KADIMA), would PROHIBIT MURDERERS of CHILDREN from being included in any prisoner exchanges with the palestinians and would NOT PERMIT  the PRESIDENT to PARDON them.

     Coalition chairman Ze'ev Elkin and Labor faction chairman Eitan Cabel co-sponsored the measure,

which has STRONG SUPPORT in both the coalition and the opposition. "I think this bill will send the

message that although ALL TERRORISM is bad, terrorism against children is UNFORGIVABLE,"

Hasson said on Tuesday night. "Perpetrators of such crimes MUST KNOW that they CANNOT be

included in a prisoner exchange, even in the event of a peace deal. This bill wwould go a long way in

STRENGTHENING Israel's DETERRENCE."

     The suspects in the murder of five members of the Fogel family on March 11 have been named as

Hakim Maazan Niad Awad, an 18-year old high-school student, and Amjad Mahmud Fauzi Awad, 19,

both from the west bank village of Awarta, located 2 km. south of the Itamar settlement. Hasson's

proposal will be debated when the Knesset returns from its spring recess on May 15.

     The Knesset is also expected to consider legislation proposed by several MKs on the Right to

enable terrorists to be given the DEATH PENALTY.

     Vice Premier Silvan Shalom (Likud) is the highest-ranking politician to come out in favor of executing

the Fogel family's killers. In an interview with Ma'ariv, Shalom also proposed a new approach to brining

about the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Schalit. He suggested that instead of accepting Hamas's

demand that Israel release more than 1,000 security prisoners, including hundreds "with blood on their

hands," Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu instead offer to release 2,000 prisoners - but NONE who

have murdered Israelis.

     Shalom, who has met with many groups of families of terrorism victims, said he wanted to avoid the

families having to see their children's murderers released from prison.

     "If the list of 2,000 prisoners WITHOUT blood on their hands was published, the families of the prisoners would put so much pressure on Hamas leaders that they would be compelled to accept the

deal," Shalom said. "They would put the same pressure on Hamas that the Schalit family is putting on

the government of Israel."

[My italics throughout]