bb y ▁on ▁their ▁beh alf . ▁Y ig al ▁C ohen - Or g ad ▁and ▁Re hav am ▁Ze ' e vi ▁offered ▁references ▁test ifying ▁to ▁the ▁good ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁accused , ▁while ▁other ▁M K s ▁like ▁Me ir ▁C ohen - A vid ov ▁and ▁D ov ▁Sh il ans ky ▁were ▁support ive ▁from ▁the ▁very ▁out set . ▁Yu val ▁Ne ' eman ▁argued ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁acted ▁purely ▁out ▁of ▁self - def ense . ▁A ▁bill ▁to ▁grant ▁them ▁an ▁am n esty ▁was ▁presented ▁to ▁the ▁K ness et ▁by ▁religious ▁parties . ▁In ▁a ▁public ▁opinion ▁poll ▁conducted ▁by ▁Ha aret z ▁in ▁mid - 1 9 8 5 , ▁according ▁to ▁Nur ▁Mas al ha ' s ▁reading , ▁ 5 2 . 6 % ▁of ▁Israel is ▁pol led ▁were ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁prisoners ' ▁immediate ▁release ▁without ▁trial . ▁Edward ▁Alexander , ▁however , ▁reports ▁that ▁a ▁Ha aret z ▁poll ▁in ▁June ▁found ▁that ▁ 6 0 % ▁of ▁Israel is ▁condem ned ▁the ▁Under ground ' s ▁activities , ▁and ▁the ▁cul pr its ▁des erved ▁severe ▁pun ishment . ▁ 1 4 % ▁of ▁interview ees ▁are ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁approved ▁of ▁the ▁group , ▁while ▁ 1 7 . 5 % ▁said ▁some ▁specific ▁acts ▁were ▁just ified . ▁Rab bi ▁Ah aron ▁L ichten stein ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁case ▁was ▁different ▁from ▁a ▁Jew ▁murder ing ▁other ▁Jews : ▁In ▁this ▁case