Pierre Burghalter, a 68-year-old Frenchman sentenced to four years imprisonment last year for bringing explosives into Israel for the purpose of sabotage was pardoned yesterday. His wife, Edith, who was sentenced to eight years imprisonment for her larger role in the affair, remains in jail. She is serving her term at the Neveh Tirtzah women’s prison. Burghalter was pardoned with the consent of the Chief of Staff and was released today to return to France.
The Burghalter couple and three foreign girls were recruited by Arab terrorists to carry out acts of sabotage in Israeli civilian centers. The Burghalters smuggled in explosives which the girls were to plant in Tel Aviv and other cities. The sabotage ring was broken up by police before it could carry out its plans.
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