Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was among the hundreds of east Jerusalem residents who came to warmly greet a terrorist who was released from Israeli prison last week.

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Rajaei Haddad, a resident of Jerusalem's Old City, was part of the terror cell that murdered Gabriel Hirschberg in an attack on HaGai Street in November 1997.

Upon his return home from prison, he was welcomed with a huge reception in the al-Ram neighborhood, The Jewish Voice news website reported.

Raja Haddad (L) embraced by PA President Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: Al-Hayat al-Jadida)

According to the MEMRI Institute, Haddad received a dignified and sympathetic personal welcome from the Palestinian leader. Abbas warmly embraced Haddad and told him that "the prisoners' issue holds a special place in the priorities of the Palestinian leadership, that works to free all the prisoners from the occupation's prisons."

Haddad spent 20 years in an Israeli prison for his complicity in a terror attack. Haddad's job was to signal the other member of the terror cell, Ayman al-Sharbati, when Jews were coming so the latter could open fire at them with a Kalashnikov rifle.

Springing their ambush near HaGai Street, Haddad saw two yeshiva students and signaled Sharbati to open fire. Hirschberg was killed immediately while his friend was seriously wounded.