(Times of Israel) Adam Rasgon - Issam Akel, a resident of eastern Jerusalem who holds U.S. citizenship, was freed on Tuesday by the Palestinian Authority after being held for several months for attempting to sell land to Jews. On Dec. 31 he was sentenced to life in prison by a Ramallah court. Under a secret deal between the PA and U.S. authorities, Akel will be sent to the U.S. The U.S. had been heavily pressuring the PA to release Akel, and American officials visited him in jail. A Palestinian official told Israel's Kan TV on Jan. 2 that the PA was eager to get Akel off its hands. "We want to finish this saga. He has become a burden upon us."
2019-01-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive