May 6, 2012
Let Hagai Amir Go Home Quietly
Hagai Amir was released from prison last week. Amir, brother of Yigal Amir, served 16.5 years in solitary confinement in prison for his role as an accomplice in the Rabin assassination.
Amir's release was met, mostly by the people on the "left" but also by some from the "right", with protests and anger.
I have never called for Yigal Amir or Hagai Amir's release from prison, and I am in no way a supporter of theirs. However, I am not sure what all these upset people expect. Hagai Amir was sentenced, in a court of law, to 16 years in prison. Hagai Amir served out his sentence.
I would not support promoting him for any public position, but besides for that what do these people want? What are they upset about? He served his sentence. Do they think he should volunteer to stay in prison for longer? Do they think the prison services should have kept him in longer despite the court sentence limiting his term to 16 years? This is a democracy and a country ruled by a legal system. He did the crime, he paid his time.
Leave him alone, don't turn him into a celebrity, let him go quietly to his home and live out whatever his miserable life will be.
As an aside, even if you believe that the Amir's were set up and framed as part of a conspiracy theory, which I do not discount as being possible, no matter how you look at it the Amir's must have been a part of whatever conspiracy there might have been. They were not just victims of a set-up. If they had simply been victims, they would not have played along and kept quiet all this time. So even if they were part of a conspiracy, they are as bad as the rest of them.
Back to my point, if a community would come out and promote Hagai Amir as deserving of public office or to be some sort of leader, I would understand the opposition. I, too, would oppose his being promoted to such a position. Perhaps I would say that he has the right to run for any position, but I would think it wrong for anybody to support him or vote for him (as I think regarding Aryeh Deri and other people running for political office after having served prison time for crimes of moral turpitude - you want to run, go ahead, but people should not be voting for such a person).
So, Hagai Amir should not be put in the position of being a leader. But to protest just the fact that he was released from prison? What's that all about? He served his time, let him go home now.
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I have never called for Yigal Amir or Hagai Amir's release from prison, and I am in no way a supporter of theirs. However, I am not sure what all these upset people expect. Hagai Amir was sentenced, in a court of law, to 16 years in prison. Hagai Amir served out his sentence.
I would not support promoting him for any public position, but besides for that what do these people want? What are they upset about? He served his sentence. Do they think he should volunteer to stay in prison for longer? Do they think the prison services should have kept him in longer despite the court sentence limiting his term to 16 years? This is a democracy and a country ruled by a legal system. He did the crime, he paid his time.
Leave him alone, don't turn him into a celebrity, let him go quietly to his home and live out whatever his miserable life will be.
As an aside, even if you believe that the Amir's were set up and framed as part of a conspiracy theory, which I do not discount as being possible, no matter how you look at it the Amir's must have been a part of whatever conspiracy there might have been. They were not just victims of a set-up. If they had simply been victims, they would not have played along and kept quiet all this time. So even if they were part of a conspiracy, they are as bad as the rest of them.
Back to my point, if a community would come out and promote Hagai Amir as deserving of public office or to be some sort of leader, I would understand the opposition. I, too, would oppose his being promoted to such a position. Perhaps I would say that he has the right to run for any position, but I would think it wrong for anybody to support him or vote for him (as I think regarding Aryeh Deri and other people running for political office after having served prison time for crimes of moral turpitude - you want to run, go ahead, but people should not be voting for such a person).
So, Hagai Amir should not be put in the position of being a leader. But to protest just the fact that he was released from prison? What's that all about? He served his time, let him go home now.
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Interesting juxtaposition of this post and the previous. In one you argue that justice served its course, a sentence was served. so let things be and let the prisoner live in peace.
ReplyDeleteIn the other you (albeit via a guest post) argue against the justice system and urge to make a commotion about getting a prisoner released.
I realize the cases are not 100% parallel but seems to me you either accept things at face value evenly or reserve the right to display disapproval with the system evenly.
good point, but at worst he was an accomplice. do accomplices ever get life sentences? he didnt pull the trigger.. no matter how you look at it, he didnt deserve a life sentence. and he served his 16 years in solitary confinement. not exactly a prison hotel like some prison sentences are accused of being.
ReplyDeleteYes they do, several of those found guilty of the Lincoln assassination were issues life sentences.
ReplyDeleteIn fact in many states in the US you can get a life sentence for accomplice to murder - even not of a president.
I was not saying that he should or should not have been released now- just that the "right" to complain about it seemed inconsistent.