Rabin Assassin Yigal Amir Requests Furlough For Son’s Bar Mitzva, Court Rejects Request

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Yigal Amir, who is serving a life sentence for the assassination of Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, has requested a formal furlough for his son’s Bar Mitzva, which will take place in Herzliya this Friday. Amir petitioned the Beersheva administrative court after the Prison Service and the Shin Bet refused his request.

The state, represented by the southern district state attorney, submitted a negative response to Amir’s request, citing national security concerns and for the sake of public peace.

The state included the response of the Shin Bet which described Amir as a dangerous activist who headed a terror cell whose stated goal was to use terror activity to change Israel’s policies and acted to realize this goal over a long period. The Shin Bet said that Amir has yet to change his views as evident from his wife’s statements. His wife also attempted to establish a political party which would call for his release, proving that he has wide support in the general public for his views.

The court accepted the state’s position. Judge Aharon Mishnayot said that he had found no fault with the prison services rejection of Amir’s request for a special furlough or for an escorted visit to the Bar Mitzva. He added however that Amir could request to have a meeting with a large number of first-degree relatives at his jail and the Prison Service would take his request into consideration.

Labor party leader Amir Peretz expressed his support for the decision, stating that “I applaud the court for rejecting the request of the assassin and his cronies who wish to turn the murder of a prime minister into a criminal event. It is wrong that Rabin’s murderere should receive any kind of benefits. His place is in jail for the rest of his life. On the 25th anniversary of the murder of Rabin, the request itself arouses shock and disgust and justice has prevailed.””