Bayit Yehudi MKs, Danon link terror attacks to prisoner release

Deputy defense minister: Release endangers Israel's security; Bayit Yehudi calls on ministers to vote for bill against release.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Women hold up pictures of Palestinian prisoners 370 (photo credit: REUTERS/Majed Jaber)
Women hold up pictures of Palestinian prisoners 370
(photo credit: REUTERS/Majed Jaber)
An attempt to bomb a school bus shows that terrorists must be kept in jail, Bayit Yehudi MKs said ahead of Sunday’s vote on the party’s bill prohibiting prisoner releases.
Meanwhile, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon (Likud Beytenu) worked to convince ministers to vote against the prisoner release planned for this week.
Friday’s remarks from Bayit Yehudi MKs came after an improvised bomb was thrown at an Israeli school bus transporting students Friday morning near the village of Yabad, not far from Jenin.
No injuries or damage were reported.
“The attempt to harm innocent children shows that the Palestinian Authority doesn’t want to talk peace; it wants to make war,” Deputy Education Minister Avraham Wortzman (Bayit Yehudi) said.
Wortzman called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to “do the right thing” and vote for the Bayit Yehudi bill against prisoner releases.
Similarly, MK Mordechai Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) said “incitement against Israel in the Palestinian Authority is increasing, as are terror attacks.”
“There is no good reason to free terrorists and murderers with blood on their hands. It’s immoral and hurts Israel’s security,” Yogev added.
On Sunday, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation is scheduled to vote on whether the government will back a bill proposed by Bayit Yehudi and coalition chairman Yariv Levin (Likud Beytenu) prohibiting prisoner releases.
Deputy Minister for Liaison with the Knesset Ophir Akunis called prisoner releases “immoral and not good for our security or for peace.”
“Since the previous release, terror attacks only increased,” Akunis wrote on Facebook on Saturday night.
Akunis, a close ally of Netanyahu, also opposes connecting prisoner releases and construction in the West Bank, writing: “We must continue building and development everywhere, without any connection to freeing murderers.”
Danon sent a letter to ministers on Thursday night, warning them that prisoner releases encourage terrorists.
“I’m sure you all remember that on July 28, 2013, the government authorized the release of 104 prisoners.
Since then, terror boldly raised its head and the following terror attacks occurred: Soldier Tomer Hazan was kidnapped and killed, soldier Gal Kobi was murdered in Hebron, a terrorist infiltrated Psagot and injured nine-year-old Noam Glick, Col. (res.) Sraya Ofer was murdered in his yard, a 1.8- km.-long terror tunnel from [the Gaza Strip] was discovered [and] a terrorist broke into an IDF base with a tractor,” Danon wrote.
According to the deputy minister, these attacks occurred as a spirit of incitement from the Palestinian leadership powerfully inflames the Palestinian street, and [PA President Mahmoud Abbas] does not speak out against it.
“I call on you to oppose the irresponsible release of terrorists, which endangers the security of Israel’s residents. Releasing terrorists without conditions is a reward for terror and spurs future terrorists,” Danon said.
Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.