In 1997 a terrorist from Jordan shot and killed 7 13-year old girls from Bet Shemesh. The girls were on a class trip to the Island of Peace, a location close to Naharayim. The terrorist was apprehended and sentenced to a life in prison with hard labor. King Hussein of Jordan took the unusual step of visiting Israel right then and paid a condolence call expressing his grief at the houses of each of the families of the girls who had been killed.

A majority of the Jordanian parliament is now calling on the government to release Ahmad Musa Mustafa Daqamseh. Such a pardon would require a government decision, along with a pardon from the King of Jordan, who has as of yet not given any indication that he plans to do so. The problem with "as of yet" is that with enough media talk and promotion, if the issue picks up steam and momentum, the king could be pressured by public opinion to change his mind. Maybe not this year, but maybe next year or the year after.

I heard some of the parents on the radio talking in tears about how the government should use all diplomatic means available to pressure the Jordanian government against such a release. Better earlier than later in my opinion. Better to quash it before it gains momentum and becomes a real issue under consideration. Better quash it before public opinion is pressuring the King of Jordan.

It did make me wonder why we have a right to release terrorists from jail, despite the hurt it will cause to the families of the terrorists victims, and despite the fact that he killed people and should not be walking around as a free man, while we explicitly refuse to allow other countries to free terrorists in their jails. The reason is because in both cases we are the victims - we can choose to release terrorists who killed our children, if there might be a greater purpose - some form of peace or goodwill, or a prisoner exchange. However, we also can say that we do not approve releasing terrorists that we were victims of. We do not want Jordan releasing terrorists we were victims of. With us being the victims, at times we can choose a certain terrorist should be freed for the greater god, but a different terrorist should not. Jordan should only decide on releasing terrorists that killed Jordanians, not Israelis.

Terrorists should be taken, and kept, off the streets. The Israeli government must do all in its power to pressure the Jordanian government against such a release, and to do it in such a powerful way that this will not be a recurring issue in the coming years.