In a letter to Prime Minister Olmert, MK Abbas Zakour says releasing all 150 Israeli-Arab terrorists from prison would "open a new page in Israeli-Arab relations."

The list of incarcerated terrorists whose freedom Hamas demands in return for the release of captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is under the consideration of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Olmert has expressed his "disappointment" with the inclusion on the list of several arch-terrorists responsible for many Israeli deaths.

Also on the list are some Israeli-Arab terrorist prisoners - and Arab MK Abbas Zakour says there should be more.
"There are today nearly 150 Arab security prisoners [terrorists - ed.], men and women, residents of the State of Israel, who are imprisoned in Israeli jails, in most difficult conditions," Zakour wrote to Olmert.

Freeing Terrorists Would "Contribute to Co-Existence"
"Mr. Prime Minister," wrote Zakour, "I think the time has come for the State of Israel and its government to open a new page with the Arab residents of the State. It would be right for the State of Israel to agree to the release of all the Arab prisoners - something that would contribute to co-existence in the State between the two sectors [Jewish and Arab]."

Israeli-Arabs have increasingly become involved in terrorist acts in Israel, and an internal Shabak (General Security Service) document says Israel's Arabs are a long-range strategic danger to Israel's character and very existence. The GSS has found that in the year 2006, 21 Israeli-Arab terror cells were uncovered, involving 24 Arab citizens. In 2005, the numbers were 17 terror cells involving 22 Arabs.

Arabs of Israel are generally recruited into terrorist gangs based on their family or business ties with Arabs of Judea and Samaria (Yesha). The terrorists in Yesha find it easier to transport weapons using the services of Israeli-Arabs who are not bound by restrictions at checkpoints and the like.

For instance, in November 2006, a smuggling cell of ten Israeli-Arabs was found to be active in smuggling weapons from pre-1967 Israel to Judea and Samaria. In July 2006, an Israeli-Arab was arrested who confessed that during the war with Hizbullah, he transmitted information to a Lebanese Hizbullah drug-dealer regarding IDF forces, military plans, and location of rocket hits.

Just today (Thursday), two Israeli-Arabs - and one Jew - were each sentenced to 13 years in prison for having driven a Palestinian suicide terrorist to Netanya in the summer of 2005, in exchange for 1,000 shekels. The terrorist blew himself up outside a Netanya mall, murdering five and wounding 30.  The lawyer for the Jewish defendant said his client did not know his passenger, whom they had driven before, was a terrorist, and that he will appeal. Tel Aviv Magistrates Court Judge said they had been frequently warned of the dangers involved, and that on the day of the attack, they did not care enough to act on their suspicions even though they asked their passenger what he had in his bag.  The Prosecution is considering appealing the light sentence.

Meanwhile, Arab MK Azmi Bishara continues his refusal to return to Israel, in the shadow of veiled criminal accusations regarding his discussions with Syrian leaders in Damascus last year.  His party, Balad, has asked that the gag order preventing publication of the nature of the charges against him be removed.

A recent Haifa University survey found that though tens of thousands of Israeli-Arabs were forced into bomb shelters during last summer's war with Hizbullah, 90% of the Arab sector consider Israel’s bombing of Lebanon to have constituted war crimes. Nearly half (48%) believe that Hizbullah’s shelling of Israel was justified, and the same amount believe that Hizbullah's kidnapping of IDF reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser was justified.