Israeli President Isaac Herzog is considering reducing the sentence of Ami Popper, convicted of killing seven Palestinian laborers in 1990, if a future hostage deal includes the release of Arab terrorists.
President Isaac Herzog is weighing the possibility of reducing the prison sentence of Ami Popper, the Israeli man convicted in 1990 of murdering seven Palestinian Arab laborers, according to a Ynet report Sunday.
Popper, who has served more than three decades behind bars, is slated for release in five years. But sources familiar with the matter say Herzog may consider early release if a future Israel-Hamas hostage deal includes freeing Palestinian terrorists, raising the argument of parity in prisoner treatment.
Over recent months, the President’s Residence and the Justice Ministry’s amnesty departments have reviewed multiple requests from Jewish security prisoners seeking sentence reductions. The petitions cite past precedents in which Arab terrorists were freed in political agreements, arguing that “balance” demands similar consideration for Jewish inmates.
Herzog has not yet made a final decision. Officials emphasized that any reduction would be examined in the context of diplomatic and security developments, particularly negotiations tied to hostage returns from Gaza.
Popper’s case remains one of Israel’s most controversial: once a soldier, he opened fire on Palestinian workers in Rishon Lezion in 1990, killing seven and wounding 11. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, later commuted to 40 years, and is currently nearing the end of his term.
The possibility of his early release is likely to spark fierce debate in Israel, especially as the government continues to weigh hostage negotiations against security concerns and public opinion.
