Jewish Israeli seeks ‘pardon’ like Palestinian prisoners

Ami Popper, a Jewish Israeli serving a commuted life sentence for killing Palestinians, on Sunday sought to be released from jail under the same criteria that applies to Palestinian long-term incarcerees who are set to be freed by Israel to facilitate peace talks.

Popper, who was convicted of murdering seven Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in Rishon Lezion, asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to release him from jail in the same fashion that Israel intends to release the Palestinian prisoners, arguing that he was eligible for the same treatment, or pardon, that they are set to receive.

The cabinet voted Sunday to release 104 Palestinian prisoners who have been serving sentences since before the 1993 Oslo Accords in order to facilitate negotiations with the Palestinians, set to begin Monday evening in Washington. Thirteen ministers voted for the measure, seven against and two abstained.

Popper, a former IDF soldier, killed seven Palestinians at a bus stop in Rishon Lezion in 1990. He was promptly arrested for his crime. His sentence was reduced to 40 years in 1999. Popper was transferred to the maximum-security Ayalon Prison in 2012 for harassing other inmates.