"If we release Jamal al-Hur we'll be giving [Hamas] back their next Sinwar," Jonathan Karten told The Jerusalem Post on Monday after his family learned from a news broadcast that al-Hur, the terrorist who tortured, murdered and mutilated his uncle, may be released in a prisoner-hostage exchange should US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan go ahead.
"Releasing repeat offenders only ensures more bloodshed," he added.
Karten's uncle, IDF St.-Sgt. Sharone Edri, was only 20 years old when he disappeared on the way home from an army hospital in September 1996. Three terrorists from the village of Surif, disguised as haredi men, had kidnapped him and shot him in the head.
His body was found seven months later. He had been cut in half and buried in two places in Surif.
Jamal al-Hur was just one of the members of the Surif terror cell that perpetrated the brutal murder of Edri. The cell was also responsible for blowing up the Apropo Café in Tel Aviv which killed three women and wounded 48 in 1997. In 1998, an Israeli military court handed al-Hur, and another terrorist, five life terms in prison.
Two of al-Hur's accomplices who were freed in the Gilad Shalit hostage-prisoner swap of 2011 went on to plan the 2014 kidnapping of three boys that led to Operation Protective Edge. Yayha Sinwar, who was supposed to be serving four life sentences in prison, was also released in the Schalit deal, and subsequently went on to mastermind the October 7 massacre.
Al-Hur has remained behind bars, and now serves as Hamas's spokesperson inside Israel's prison system.
If released, al-Hur would live just five minutes drive from where Edri's mother (Karten's grandmother) lives, posing a great threat to the family.
Family petitions government to prevent release of terrorist
Karten is petitioning the Israeli government and relevant authorities to prevent the release of al-Hur, and prohibit the future release of any terrorist who has previously been released and reoffended after release. Karten also wants the government to ensure that justice for the victims of terror remains uncompromised by political pressure.
"It's a morbid calculation, but we have to weigh the likelihood of the terrorist killing again, multiplied by the amount of people he'll kill, against the net present value of a loved one," Karten told the Post.
"So I think the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has a very big task at hand and it's to quantify the likelihood that somebody will be a threat to Israel."
"And then they also have to take into account Hamas's demands as well as the outrage of the people of Israel, and then kind of come to a determination whether or not this terrorist should be on the negotiation table or not. And I think right now what the Shin Bet is doing is they're weighting the demands of Hamas over the outrage of the Israeli public. And the Israeli public is overweighing their short term happiness over their long term pain. And I think that it's a big mistake and I don't want to be right."
"Obviously, I want every hostage to come home," he said. "I know firsthand the happiness and the fulfilment of getting your son or brother or loved one back. And so I want there to be peace just as much as the next person, but not at a price that cannot be paid. Not if we are just going to be kicking the can down the road and giving them their next Sinwar."