In a letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, MK Rabbi Yitzchak Levy (National Union party) says the only way to release Arab terrorists from prison is by throwing them out of Israel totally.

MK Levy's letter follows the Prime Minister's announcement Tuesday in which Olmert agreed to release 250 terrorists from Israeli prison, as a gesture to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.



Rabbi Levy, whose daughter was murdered by Arab terrorists, writes in his letter against the release of terrorists whether it be as a goodwill gesture or part of a deal to release Gilad Shilat. He adds that the only way such a move could be considered reasonable is if the released terrorists were expelled from Israel altogether.

Army Radio asked Rabbi Levy if he agrees that even the murderers of his daughter should go free. His daughter Ayelet HaShachar Levy was killed in a car bomb blast in the Machaneh Yehuda neighborhood of Jerusalem in November 2000. Her father said in response that he would accept their release if they were thrown out of Israel, including Judea, Samaria and Gaza.



MK Levy also says that continued humanitarian assistance to Hamas-run Gaza must be made contingent upon the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.



Levy's letter to Olmert reads:

"At this time, you are running two parallel tracks of releasing Palestinian terrorists - one as a good-will gesture towards Fatah and the other vis-a-vis Hamas with the goal of achieving Gilad Shalit's release. As is known, the release of terrorists is a security danger for the country and its citizens; we have seen several times that prisoners who are released in various deals return to their evil ways and take active part in terrorist activity against Israeli citizens.



"I believe that there is no place for such gestures, and, in the case of Gilad Shalit, we have other ways to pressure Hamas to release him - by making the humanitarian assistance that you announced yesterday in Sharm a-Sheikh contingent upon Shalit's release.



"There is only one way in which the release of prisoners could be reasonable - and that is by expelling them outside the State of Israel, including outside Judea, Samaria and Gaza, and sending them to another Arab country. We will thus reduce significantly their ability to act against Israel. I strongly recommend making this a condition for the release of prisoners."
An audio tape of Gilad Shalit asking Prime Minister Olmert and the Government of Israel to do more for his release, especially given his need for hospitalization, was released Tuesday by Hamas. It was the first time he had been heard from since he was kidnapped from his tank just outside the Gaza border exactly a year ago.