Israel shortens life terms of 7 Israeli Arabs

Israel's president and justice minister announced they had set reduced prison terms of seven Israeli Arabs imprisoned for life for security offences committed in the 1980s. According to a statement Monday from President Shimon Peres' bureau, "the president and justice minister (Yaakov Neeman) accepted the special release committee's recommendations... to set (reduced) life terms sentenced to seven Arab security prisoners, citizens of the state." Each prisoner received shortened life terms "of 30-45 years, each case according to its circumstances," the statement read. Prior to Monday's decision, the prisoners would have been facing imprisonment till their deaths. In October, Israel released seven Arab Israelis and 15 residents of annexed east Jerusalem as part of the deal that saw the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in return for over a thousand imprisoned Palestinians.