Israel Matzav

A terrorist's life in a 'Palestinian prison'

As many of you may have read yesterday, two 'Palestinians' were 'convicted' yesterday in a one-day trial by a 'Palestinian court' of charges arising out of the murder of off-duty IDF soldiers Ahikam Amihai and Yehuda Rubin HY"D (pictured, top left) near Kiryat Arba last month. The murderers,Ammar Taha, 26, and Ali Dandis, 24, were sentenced to fifteen years in prison, a short sentence given a crime that would be called pre-meditated or first degree murder in most western countries. But if you read the news closely, you will see that they were not convicted of murder as much as they were convicted of harming the national interests of the fictitious 'Palestinian people.' Ahikam Amihai's father, Rabbi Yehuda Amihai, is outraged:

Rabbi Yehuda Amichai, father to Ahikam, said he was "outraged" by this "farce". "The PA can't judge murderers of Jews, and Olmert should acknowledge that", said Amichai.

Rabbi Amihai should be outraged, and not just by the light sentence. He should be outraged because the murderers will likely be released from the revolving door of the 'Palestinian' prison system as soon as no one is looking. And he should be outraged because these terrorists are not going to be in a prison, but in a country club. For those who have forgotten, allow me to remind you what life is like for the murderers of Jews in a 'Palestinian' prison. Recall Ahmed Saadat, the leader of the gang that murdered former tourism minister Rehavam Zeevi HY"D, who is frequently mentioned as one of the possible terrorists to be exchanged for kidnapped IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit.

Palestinian guards confirmed yesterday that Ahmed Saadat, a leading militant captured by Israeli troops in the raid, kept birds and flowers in his quarters. Western officials said that Saadat in effect used other prisoners as “domestic staff”.

An official told The Times that Fuad Shobaki, the alleged moneyman behind a 2002 weapons shipment intercepted by Israel, smoked up to five Cuban cigars a day and was known as “The Brigadier” to inmates and staff. He was also seized.

“Saadat and Shobaki were very much in charge,” one prison source said. “These guys were running the prison. They did what they wanted, when they wanted.”

...

It followed reports by [British and American CiJ] monitors that the six prisoners had access to computers, mobile phones and were not “locked down” at night. The monitors said that they were forbidden to search cells and that mobile phone jammers were switched off.

Sounds like a pretty good life at the taxpayers' the international community's expense, doesn't it? Well, guess what: Israel agreed to it when it signed the Oslo accords in 1993 and 1995:

PA security officials said the two men would serve their sentences in a Hebron jail. They noted that in accordance with agreements signed between the PA and Israel, the Israelis were not entitled to demand the extradition of Palestinians after they had been sentenced to prison by Palestinian courts.

As it happens, the 'Palestinians' are right about this. In its blind trust of Yasser Arafat, the Rabin-Peres government agreed that Israel would not demand the extradition of any terrorist sentenced by 'Palestinian courts.' Israel's agreement was unqualified.

Israel is reaping what it sowed in the mid-90's in its desire to be a 'normal country.' Unfortunately, when the grim reaper comes, its aim often takes in the cream of the crop.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:06 AM