Itongadol.- A three justice panel of the High Court of Justice walked out on a group of families of terror victims as they were trying to voice their opposition to the planned prisoner release deal near the end of a hearing on a petition they filed to block the deal.
In past prisoner release cases, such as the Gilad Schalit hearing, the High Court, then under Dorit Beinisch, gave the victims ample time to voice their opposition and emotion regarding the release.
However, in Supreme Court President Asher D. Grunis\’ first hearing on a major prisoner release deal since he took over lead of the court over a year ago, he allowed only one of the terror victims\’ families to speak.
Around half a dozen times, the victims\’ families, part of the Almagor Terror Victims Association asked to speak. Each time they were cut-off by Grunis.
But when Grunis said "the hearing is over," there was a spontaneous outpouring of anger by the families, yelling and screaming at the judges.
The victims called out "this cannot happen," "where is the rule of law," "listen to us, listen to our hearts," "they have no time for us" and "they threw sweets" (referring to past prisoners released who had murdered relatives of the families and who were greeted with sweets upon returning to the Palestinian side)
Grunis and the other judges sat for a few moments, turning ashen red and looking shocked or indignant.
After a few moments they walked out of the room, as the victims\’ families were still calling out to them.
"With Schalit, we got him back, here we are releasing prisoners with blood on their hands and receiving nothing in return," the victim\’s lawyer told the High Court during the hearing.
"Legal and moral issues cannot be separated in a decision of such monumental importance," he added.
The highly controversial prisoner release was decided on recently by the government as part of a last good will gesture required for restarting the peace process with the Palestinians for the first time in years.
Almagor held protests in the build up to the hearing, starting at the memorial for terror victims and then moved on to the High Court itself, due to hear Almagor\’s petition to block the release.
"Whoever kills must serve their sentence," Indor declared during the hearing. Other victims also spoke up shouting "our dead are crying out," and "stop this injustice."
The state responded saying that it has no precedent to interfere with government decisions to release terrorists – even with blood on their hands. They did add that if the peace process does not go well, future planned prisoner releases will be canceled.
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