President Isaac Herzog is considering commuting the prison sentence of convicted mass murderer Ami Popper, a right-wing extremist, in the event a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas is reached, according to a Sunday report.
Popper, after stealing his brother’s IDF uniform and rifle, massacred Palestinian workers at a bus stop in Rishon Lezion in 1990, in one of the largest cases of Jewish terrorism in Israel’s history.
According to the court proceedings, he arrived at the bus stop disguised as a soldier, demanded identification from several workers from Gaza, and once confirming they were Palestinian forced them to kneel in rows and opened fire, killing seven and seriously wounding several others.
He was originally sentenced to seven life terms plus 20 years, but had his sentence commuted to 40 years in 1999 and is slated for release in 2030.
According to Ynet, which did not cite sources, teams in the Justice Ministry and the President’s Residence have been reviewing requests by Jewish security prisoners, including Popper, for their sentences to be shortened as a form of “balancing out” the potential mass release of Palestinian terrorists, some convicted of murder, as part of a deal.
The report said that the move would aim to soften right-wing opposition to the release of Palestinian prisoners in the event that a hostage deal is reached.
According to the report, Popper’s immediate release is not on the table, but a further commutation of his sentence is being seriously considered by Herzog’s office and the Justice Ministry.
Last year, the Israel Prison Service parole board denied a request from Popper for early release, citing a Shin Bet warning that such a move could encourage and embolden Jewish extremists to commit similar acts.
Herzog’s office confirmed to the outlet that it had received the request to shorten the sentence “based on the precedent set by President Ezer Weizmann regarding the release of terrorists in hostage deals,” but said that that no decision has been made, and one will only be made if a deal materializes.
Hamas announced earlier this month that it agreed to a partial ceasefire-hostage release deal based on a framework set forth by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, which stipulates a 60-day truce and the release of 10 living and 18 dead hostages held by terror groups in Gaza in exchange for the release of over 100 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, including dozens serving life sentences.
Israel has yet to formally discuss the proposed deal, despite it being nearly identical to an offer approved by Jerusalem last month, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now saying that he will not agree to any partial deal and will only end the war once Hamas surrenders and the Gaza Strip is demilitarized.