In a week marked by contentious prisoner releases and heated public debate, Israel’s internal divisions and its approach to both Palestinian detainees and Jewish extremists have come under sharp national and international scrutiny. The Israeli government’s recent decision to consider pardoning or commuting the sentences of several Jewish terrorists convicted of violent crimes against Palestinians has ignited a storm of controversy, even as the country continues to grapple with the fallout from a major prisoner exchange that saw the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences.
According to political sources cited by Yedioth Aharonoth, Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin initiated discussions with President Isaac Herzog over the past several weeks to explore pardons or commuted sentences for Jewish prisoners convicted of severe nationalist crimes. Levin’s formal request, made in the wake of a high-profile hostage deal that freed hundreds of Palestinians, was presented as a move to “create a balance” with the recent Palestinian releases.
The list of potential beneficiaries includes some of the most notorious figures in recent Israeli history. Among them is Amiram Ben Uliel, convicted in 2020 for the murder of three members of the Dawabsheh family in a deadly arson attack in the West Bank village of Duma—a crime that shocked the nation and drew international condemnation. Ben Uliel is currently serving three life sentences. Also considered is Ami Popper, responsible for the Oyoun Qara massacre in 1990, which left seven Palestinians dead at a bus stop in Rishon Lezion, and Hanoch Akiva Rabin, convicted for a racially motivated attack in Hawara village, West Bank.
However, President Herzog has reportedly pushed back against some of the names proposed by Levin, expressing willingness only to discuss Popper and one additional prisoner—and even then, only in terms of commuting sentences, not granting full pardons. The Yedioth Aharonoth report underlines Herzog’s reluctance to extend clemency to those responsible for the most egregious acts of violence.
This government initiative has not gone unchallenged. The far-right Honenu organization, known for its advocacy on behalf of Jewish extremists, has ramped up pressure on both Herzog and Levin, calling for the release of approximately 25 Jewish prisoners convicted of killing Palestinians. Last week, dozens of far-right activists staged a demonstration outside the Israeli president’s office, demanding the release of what they termed “Jewish heroes.” Honenu has also sought the backing of Knesset members and prominent rabbis, with Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef publicly urging Herzog to issue an amnesty for Jewish terrorists in response to the Palestinian prisoner releases.
Amid these developments, far-right Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir—himself once imprisoned for terrorist acts against Palestinians—has reportedly visited Jewish prisoners in jail, accompanied by right-wing Members of Parliament. As Haaretz reported in 2024, Ben-Gvir has used his authority as national security minister to protect and support Jewish extremists, a stance that has drawn fierce criticism from across the political spectrum.
While Israeli authorities debate the fate of Jewish extremists, the plight of Palestinian detainees remains dire. On Sunday, rights groups reported the death of 49-year-old Mahmoud Talal Abdullah, a Palestinian from Jenin refugee camp, who died in Israeli custody at Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Ya’akov due to untreated medical complications and cancer. According to a joint statement from the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS), Abdullah’s health deteriorated rapidly after his abduction on February 1, 2025. Despite medical confirmation of advanced-stage cancer, Israeli officials refused to release him, and he died just one day after being transferred to the hospital.
Abdullah’s death, rights groups claim, is emblematic of broader systemic neglect and abuse. Before his most recent detention, Abdullah had spent two years in Israeli jails following his abduction during the al-Aqsa Intifada in 2002. His family and advocates say his ongoing treatment for existing health conditions was abruptly interrupted by his arrest. The PPS noted that Abdullah is the 79th Palestinian known to have died in Israeli imprisonment since October 2023, following the outbreak of war on Gaza. Advocacy groups estimate that at least 10,400 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 3,300 administrative detainees—those imprisoned without charge or trial—among them 320 children and 88 women.
Conditions in Israeli prisons have been widely condemned as deplorable. Rights organizations have documented insufficient hygiene, routine torture, harassment, and repression. Many Palestinian detainees have responded by launching open-ended hunger strikes to protest what they describe as unlawful detention. According to the Palestine Detainees Studies Center, approximately 60 percent of Palestinian detainees suffer from chronic illnesses, with several dying during or after detention due to inadequate medical care. Human rights groups assert that Israel’s practices violate detainees’ rights under the Fourth Geneva Convention and international law.
Meanwhile, the Israeli media landscape is itself embroiled in controversy. Recent coverage of statements made by newly released Palestinian prisoners as part of the exchange deal has exposed deep fissures in public discourse. Journalist and TV host Amnon Levy, as reported by Israeli outlets, highlighted a pervasive double standard: while Palestinians are frequently accused of incitement against Israel, Israeli media and politicians often openly incite violence against Palestinians. Levy argued that if Israel is serious about combating incitement, “it must begin within Israel itself,” citing examples of media figures and Knesset members calling for the expulsion of Gaza residents and the denial of their rights.
Channel 13 political analyst Gil Tamari also weighed in, criticizing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s harsh response to environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who alleged she was beaten and insulted by Israeli security forces. Tamari described the episode as an “unjustified fit of rage” that further damaged Israel’s international image.
Channel 13’s coverage of the prisoner release operation featured footage from inside an Israeli prison, showing heightened security and what were described as humiliating measures—such as prohibiting Palestinian prisoners from displaying any signs of joy. The broadcast included a brief interview with Mahmoud Abu Surour, sentenced to life for killing a Shin Bet investigator in 1993, who stated, “what happened was part of the war before the Oslo Accords,” refusing to express remorse. The report’s producer referred to the prisoners as “vile murderers” and suggested they “deserve harsher treatment, not a cup of coffee before their release.” This language sparked debate in media circles, with many viewing it as further evidence of rising hate speech within Hebrew-language media.
Journalist Razi Barkai, responding to the report, stressed the importance of distinguishing between the killing of civilians and the targeting of security personnel, arguing that clashes between soldiers and Palestinian fighters are “part of an armed conflict that cannot be separated from its political and security context.”
This week’s events have laid bare the deep and painful divisions within Israeli society and its institutions. As debates rage over justice, accountability, and the treatment of prisoners on both sides, the country faces difficult questions about its future direction—and the cost of its ongoing conflict.