Israeli President Isaac Herzog is considering the possibility of reducing the sentence of Ami Popper, who in 1990 was convicted for the murder of seven Palestinian Arab laborers and was sentenced to life in prison, Ynet reported on Sunday.
Popper is scheduled for release in five years. Still, according to sources with knowledge of the matter, the reduction is only being considered if Israel and Hamas agree to a hostage deal that includes the release of Arab terrorists.
Over the past few months, the amnesty departments at the President's Residence and the Justice Ministry have been engaged in extensive administrative work to consider requests by Jewish security prisoners for sentence reductions.
The requests were justified by noting that Arab terrorists were released in previous deals, and that “balance” should also be created regarding the Jewish prisoners who are incarcerated.
Herzog has yet to make a final decision on the matter, but the option remains on the table and will be examined per diplomatic and security developments.