Minister Amichai Eliyahu published a statement Saturday night alongside a legal opinion submitted to the president, reflecting on the Bus 300 affair, the anniversary of President Chaim Herzog’s death, and renewed calls for a presidential pardon.
Eliyahu recounted the events of April 1984, when four young terrorists from Gaza hijacked an Egged bus traveling from Tel Aviv to Ashkelon, taking 41 passengers hostage overnight. The attackers, armed with knives and claiming to carry explosives, were confronted at dawn by Sayeret Matkal commandos. Two were killed during the rescue operation, while two others were captured alive.
According to Eliyahu, those two captives were later executed on the orders of then-ISA chief Avraham Shalom, carried out by Ehud Yatom. He noted that the justification at the time was rooted in deterrence - the belief that hostage-takers should not survive their actions.
The incident became a national controversy after a photograph emerged showing the attackers alive in custody, sparking public outrage and deep divisions within Israeli society. Investigations were launched, senior officials faced scrutiny, and debates erupted over legality, morality, and national security.
Eliyahu described how the crisis shook the security establishment, leading to resignations and probes, while the country itself became polarized. At the center of the turmoil, he wrote, stood President Chaim Herzog, who ultimately chose to pardon those involved.
According to Eliyahu, Herzog viewed the broader national interest as outweighing the continuation of legal proceedings, arguing that prolonged trials would deepen societal rifts. The decision to grant pardons, he said, was intended to restore unity, despite criticism from across the political spectrum.
Marking 29 years since Herzog’s passing, Eliyahu turned to his son, current President Isaac Herzog, urging him to show similar leadership in the face of ongoing legal proceedings involving the prime minister. He criticized Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara for continuing the case despite judicial signals suggesting parts of it should be reconsidered.
Eliyahu argued that the ongoing trial is taking a toll on national unity and governance, as the prime minister balances wartime responsibilities with court appearances. He framed the call for a pardon not as a political act, but as a step toward broader national reconciliation.
Concluding his remarks, Eliyahu called on President Herzog to follow his father’s example, urging decisive action that, in his view, would prioritize the interests of the state and help heal divisions within Israeli society.