According to a report by The Times of Israel, fifty-five Israeli coalition lawmakers and members of the Knesset have signed a letter urging President Isaac Herzog to release Jewish security prisoners currently held in Israeli jails.
The call comes in the wake of a recent ceasefire deal that saw hundreds of Palestinian terrorists, responsible for numerous deadly attacks, freed in exchange for the release of hostages.
The initiative was led by far-right Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech. The letter emphasizes that while signatories do not condone the actions of the prisoners on whose behalf they advocate, it is unjust that they remain incarcerated while Palestinian terrorists have been allowed to return to their families.
Among the signatories are prominent ministers including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Settlements and National Projects Minister Orit Strock, Transportation Minister Miri Regev, Culture Minister Miki Zohar, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, Shas, and United Torah Judaism also signed the appeal.
“In recent days, the government of Israel has been releasing thousands of terrorists. It goes without saying that none of us desires the release of the terrible terrorists who have harmed so many families in Israel. However, the failure to release the Jewish prisoners constitutes a policy of discrimination against them,” the letter states.
The lawmakers argued that a high percentage of released Palestinian terrorists return to acts of terrorism, while none of the Jewish prisoners in question have committed similar offenses. “We call on you, Mr. President, to act immediately to release this handful of Jewish prisoners and to correct this injustice,” the letter adds.
The appeal references several high-profile cases, including Amiram Ben Uliel, convicted of killing three members of the Palestinian Dawabsha family in a 2015 arson attack, and Ami Popper, who massacred Palestinian workers at a bus stop in Rishon Lezion in 1990. Herzog has recently indicated that he is considering commuting Popper’s prison sentence.
The letter, reported first by Ynet News, was drafted with the support of the Honenu legal aid organization, which advocates on behalf of multiple Jewish security prisoners. Son Har-Melech has previously described Ben Uliel as a “holy righteous man” and called his imprisonment a “crime.”
The lawmakers’ appeal highlights tensions over perceived disparities in Israel’s approach to the detention and release of prisoners convicted of politically or ideologically motivated acts, following the recent ceasefire and hostage exchange agreements.
The issue is expected to remain a contentious topic in Israeli political and legal discourse as President Herzog considers whether to act on the request.
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