Shas ministers and MKs are asking Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to release or reduce the sentences of Jewish prisoners who carried out or attempted to carry out terror attacks against Arabs - if Palestinian prisoners "with blood on their hands" are released as part of an anticipated prisoner exchange for captured Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.

Shas MKs presented Olmert with the request during a meeting two weeks ago. Olmert responded that since the Shalit deal is still far from being reached, he does not want to get into this issue at this time.

MK Nissim Ze'ev specifically mentioned the "Bat Ayin Underground," which placed a bomb-laden cart in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of A-Tur in 2002. The bomb did not explode.

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Shas Chairman Eli Yishai did not speak at the meeting, but does believe in principle that Jews who carried out terrorist attacks against Arabs should be released, provided they have expressed regret.

The Shas MKs' request is based in part on prior cases, in which the president has significantly commuted the sentences of Jewish terrorists due to the release of Arab terrorists in the context of the Oslo Accords. Activists from the "Hanenu" organization, which provides assistance to the families of Jews convicted of nationalist crimes, are working behind the scenes on this issue, and are offering among other things a letter written by Ariel Sharon during his term as foreign minister under then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sharon, along with 45 other MKs, supported reduced sentences for Jewish terrorists at the time, in conjunction with the release of Arab terrorists. Hanenu activists have also emphasized that, contrary to released Palestinian terrorists who returned to terrorist activity following their release, not one Jewish terrorist who was released early did so.

Roughly 10 years ago, the High Court of Justice rejected a petition by Jewish terrorists that would have prevented the government from releasing Arab terrorists if it did not release them as well. Nonetheless, then-president Ezer Weizmann did commute the sentences of many of them, who have since been released.

Speaking in the Knesset plenum several days ago, Shas MK David Azoulay mentioned the suicide last month of Asher Weisgan. Weisgan was convicted of murdering four Palestinian workers in the settlement of Shilo in 2005, in the belief that it would prevent the disengagement. Azoulay said Weisgan committed suicide because he had lost hope that he would be released - something that Palestinian terrorists do not experience, because they know that one day they will in fact be freed.

Azoulay and Ze'ev maintain, however, that the expression of regret must be a precondition for any release.