Israeli PM refuses to release terrorist

JERUSALEM, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu rejected a request by from France to release a terrorist who plotted to kill a religious leader, the PM's office said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy sent a request to Netanyahu earlier this month, seeking the of release Salah Hamori, 24, of Jerusalem, who has an Israeli identity card and French citizenship. He is serving a seven-year sentence for plotting to kill Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

Netanyahu's office said Hamori did not meet the criteria for early parole, had not expressed remorse for his actions, and is considered a threat to the public, The Jerusalem Post said Thursday.

Hamori's mother has campaigned for the release of her son and is supported by pro- Palestinian groups in France. She recently met with a Sarkozy aide to discuss the issue, Israeli media reports said earlier this month.

Hamori was one of three Arabs affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine arrested by Israel's Security Agency in 2005.