The new law, initiated by Knesset member Avshalom Vilan of the Meretz Party, was passed Wednesday by an unexpectedly high majority of 62 to six, with eight abstentions.
According to the law, a special advisory committee headed by a Supreme Court judge, which is to be established in order to advise the president on requests for pardons and commutations of sentences, will not be allowed to consider requests to commute the sentences of killers of prime ministers.
Amir, who was 25 at the time, killed Rabin at a peace rally on Nov. 4 1995 in Tel Aviv. Amir was opposed to peace negotiation with the Palestinians. He was sentenced to life imprisonment making him eligible for parole in 25 years.
Amir’s mother, Geula, in an interview with the Associated Press, said the Israeli parliament turned Israeli democracy on its head. “What country takes a person and makes a special bill for him? We’re laughing at all of them [lawmakers)] because God, blessed be he, will release him,” Geula Amir told the Associated Press.
In Israel, those sentenced to life in prison serve between 12 and 16 years on average, according to legal experts. The Israeli president, acting on recommendations of parole boards, has broad pardon powers.
Rabin’s daughter and Labor Party lawmaker, Dalia Rabin-Pelossof said, “We’re talking about an assassination that changed the leadership of the country. We need to be sure that such a man will not be let out of jail by political figures.”
Lawmaker Yitzhak Levy of the National Religious Party said the bill was a waste of the parliament’s time since no one was trying to get Amir released.
“Who’s talking today about releasing Rabin’s assassin? No one,” Levy said.