"I am sure that Yigal Amir will get out of prison," Shimon Sheves told Israeli news station 103FM on Tuesday. Sheves served as the director-general of the Prime Minister's Office during the tenure of Yitzhak Rabin.
Sheves's comments came in the wake of statements made by right-wing pundit Ari Shamai on Channel 14 on Monday, calling for Amir's release. The broadcaster released a statement shortly afterward that Shamai would no longer appear on their channel.
“The time has come to free the assassin Yigal Amir,” Shamai stated on Channel 14's “The Patriots” panel show on Sunday.
"I wasn't surprised," Sheves said of Shamai's comments. "I know him and the way he makes statements. I was more surprised by the reactions and the applause - the applause in the studio was shocking."
"There were tens of thousands [of people] who encouraged the murder," Sheves continued, explaining why he thought that Amir would eventually be released. "[Amir's] was just the gun that fired. Behind him were many people, politicians, clergymen."
Shamai called his statement advocating for the release of Amir the "most democratic statement on television."
Channel 14's reaction to Shamai's statement
Following the call for the release of Amir, Channel 14 banned Shamai from appearing on its programs.
In a statement following the decision, the channel said, “The severe words that Ari Shamai said reflect his opinion only. In light of the severity of the statements, Mr. Shamai will no longer be invited to appear on the channel’s programs.”
The conservative pundit made the statement during a panel conversation about the decision of the Supreme Court decision to prohibit a right-wing candidate from participating in the Tiberias mayoral elections this year.