Jerusalem braces for release of Second Intifada-era terrorists

“The terrorists being released to Jerusalem were critical actors within the murderous terror infrastructure of the Second Intifada,” warns NGO head.

By World Israel News Staff

The head of an NGO that advocates for Israeli sovereignty in the capital city is warning that Israel must prepare to meet the security challenges posed by the impending release of notorious terrorists during the ongoing ceasefire and hostage deal.

Maor Tzemach, the chairman of Your Jerusalem, spoke to World Israel News about the significance of freeing nearly 2,000 terrorists to eastern Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.

Tzemach stressed to WIN that the prisoners to be freed in the coming weeks have committed serious crimes against the State of Israel.

Some of those to be freed are responsible for several of the deadliest terror attacks carried out in the Jerusalem area during the early 2000s.

“These terrorists being released to eastern Jerusalem were critical actors within the murderous terror infrastructure of the Second Intifada,” Tzemach told WIN.

“During that period, hundreds of Israeli civilians were murdered the streets of Jerusalem,” he added, warning that many of the planners and operatives of these attacks will soon be walking the streets of Israel’s capital once again.

Members of the the Silwan terror cell and the Hamas operative responsible for the the Line 32 bus massacre, which killed 29 Israelis, are expected to be freed in the near future.

“Residents of Jerusalem are experiencing great pain. Yes, we are extremely happy that the hostages are coming home, but on the other hand, we are paying a heavy price,” Tzemach said.

In order to stymie a potential wave of terror following the release of the prisoners, “the army needs to engage in an full-scale effort to cleanse Judea and Samaria of terror nests, like it did 20 years ago with Operation Cast Lead,” Tzemach told WIN.

“This needs to happen in Jenin, in Tulkarem, in Shechem (Nablus). There’s no choice. In the next few months, we need to ‘mow the lawn’ of terror to the lowest possible level. In Jerusalem, Israel needs to apply the same policy. Security forces must go house-by-house in eastern Jerusalem, seizing weapons and arresting terror operatives. We also have to clamp down on incitement wherever it’s happening, especially in mosques.”

Beyond the injustice of seeing mass murderers released after serving less than 20 years in prison, Tzemach said, Jerusalemites are concerned about a new wave of terror targeting the city.

“Eighty percent of the terrorists released in the Shalit deal went back to terror,” he noted.

“We’re concerned about ‘new blood’ flowing into existing terror cells in Jerusalem, and that’s coupled with the huge pain that these Second Intifada-era terrorists did not serve out their full sentences.”