The government took another step Thursday towards clemency for dozens of people who protested the expulsion of Jews from Gaza in 2005. Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann signed a brief recommending that President Shimon Peres pardon 40 protesters.
Friedmann recommended clemency “based on the understanding that these actions had a unique historical background, and these people are not criminals in essence,” his staff said.
The Public Defender's Office submitted a request to Peres this week asking that 80 cases against “Disengagement” protesters be closed, and that the charges be struck from the protesters' criminal records.
Approximately 300 people face criminal charges stemming from protests against the withdrawal from Gaza. The Knesset has given initial approval to a law that would grant pardons to many protesters based on the recommendations of a government committee. The proposed law may become irrelevant if the Justice Ministry closes cases against non-violent protesters in the near future.