Many Israelis have suffered physical and emotional scars from the Palestinians that are going to be set free, causing their outcry in the matter (creative commons)

While the release itself is not favored by many of the citizens, it is a decision that the Israeli cabinet have deemed necessary in order to move forward.

From NY Times:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu worked over the weekend to convince Israelis that a resumption of the peace process was a vital Israeli interest. After hours of deliberations on Sunday, 13 ministers voted in favor, 7 opposed the release and 2 abstained.

As the cabinet meeting got under way, scores of Israeli protesters gathered outside the prime minister’s office, including people whose relatives were killed in terrorist acts. The protesters carried signs bearing the names and portraits of some of the victims.”

Many of the prisoners originally faced at least 20 years for their attacks on Israelis, but may be released in batches depending on official’s decisions.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lead five ministers in their release of Palestinian prisoners during the negotiations, scheduled to take place in Washington on Tuesday. He issued on Saturday an open letter to the citizens of Israel so that he could explain the decisions, but did not give any specifics on who would be released or when.

A Palestinian official associated with the ordeal spoke claimed that “This is the biggest achievement we will have had this year,” and that the first group was expected to be released in August, with the rest to follow within six months.

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