Group calls for Rabin assassin's release

JERUSALEM, April 19 (UPI) -- Members of a right-wing Israeli organization are demanding the release of Yigal Amir -- the man who assassinated former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

The Committee for Democracy has planned a series of ads to appear in newspapers and on billboards comparing the plight of Amir to the planned release of Palestinian prisoners aimed to securing the release of Israeli Defense Forces soldier Gilad Schalit, the Jerusalem Post reported Thursday.

The Post said the plan was reportedly conceived by an anonymous Jewish billionaire in the United States who contacted a number of extreme right Israeli activists, including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel, to formulate the campaign.

Avigdor Eskin, a right-wing activist known for encouraging the "Pulsa Denura" curse against Rabin and placing a pig's head on Arab leader Izzadin Kassam's grave, is also involved in the effort.

He told Army Radio it was "unacceptable to discriminate against Yigal and Haggai (Amir)."

"Anyone who supports human rights knows that they shouldn't be treated differently than security prisoners. We all believe this is unjust," Eskin said.