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Israel repatriated four jailed Jordanian terrorists as a goodwill gesture to King Abdullah. The four men, who are serving life sentences in prison for killing two Israeli soldiers 17 years ago, were transfered Thursday to Jordan, where they are due to serve out their sentences. The move was initiated by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a bid to bolster Abdullah and his efforts to broker renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks while isolating Hamas. Relatives of the slain soldiers filed Supreme Court petitions against the handover, noting that under Jordanian law, Abdullah could pardon and free the four terrorists as early as next year. Israel’s Supreme Court ruled against the families.

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