An Israeli online daily reported on Thursday that the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, expressed support for transferring four Jordanian detainees to their country of origin to continue the remainder of their sentences.Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, and Public Security Minister, Avi Dichter, said that he supports the transfer while the Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, did not determine his position, the daily added.
The four Jordanian detainees were taken prisoner in 1990; they are serving life-sentences after Israel accused them of killing an Israeli soldier, identified as Yehuda Lifshitz.
Lifshitz was shot and killed on November 1990; four years after Jordan and Israeli signed their peace agreement.
Haaretz also reported that one of the detainees is the brother of a Jordanian parliament member.
Jordan requested that Israel release the four detainees during a recent meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and King Abdullah of Jordan.
Several years ago, the former Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, agreed to release Jordanian detainees held for “lesser crimes”, , but he refused to release the four who were tried at an Israeli court and were found guilty of murder.
Also, Israeli President, Moshe Katsav, opposed their release and said that no compassion should be given “to prisoners with blood on their hands”.
