Ayelet Shaked. Photo: Yoel Meltzer.

Israel’s Knesset held a special meeting Wednesday morning between families who have lost loved ones to terrorism and Israeli Parliament members, Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported. The session was convened in order to express opposition to the scheduled release of 26 convicted terrorists from Israeli prisons next week.

Knesset Member Ayelet Shaked said that, “…my hope is that a legislative solution will be found that will allow for the elimination of such transactions in the future.” Shaked added that, “the Shalit deal was evil… [terrorists released as a result of the deal] are currently setting up terror cells in Gaza, as well as Judea and Samaria,” Ma’ariv reported from the parliamentary proceeding.

Israel’s Deputy Defense Minister MK Danny Danon also weighed in with his serious doubts about the viability of releasing convicted terrorists back into society. Danon personally called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to, “…reconsider the release of terrorists following the recent terrorist attacks.” Danon went on to say that no normal country would release terrorists as a gesture of goodwill a week after “a bus exploded on a Sunday, a police officer was stabbed on a Monday and [an Israeli citizen] was shot and killed while repairing the security fence [between Gaza and Israel] on a Tuesday.”

The upcoming release of convicts is the third of four that were scheduled as an Israeli gesture at the start of the current ongoing peace talks with the Palestinian Authority.