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Israel holds about 80% of terrorist bodies this year Israel today

2021-12-25T21:50:23.268Z


Ministry of Defense publishes the figure in response to Israel Today's request • Ministers: "Policy has not changed" • Right-wing criticism of the return of three bodies: "Prize for Terrorism"


In response to Israel Today's request, the Ministry of Defense referred for the first time to the rate of return of the bodies of the terrorists, and published a figure according to which more than 80% of the bodies of the terrorists in the past year are in Israeli hands.

The figure comes on the sidelines of a series of attacks of the period, when the defense establishment returned three terrorist bodies to their Arab families in recent weeks.

This is despite the decision of the political-security cabinet to keep the bodies of terrorists as a means of deterrence and as a future bargaining chip in release deals, if any.

On November 19, the IDF, led by the political echelon, returned the body of the terrorist Amjad Abu Sultan from Bethlehem to his family.

Abu Sultan was shot and killed after throwing Molotov cocktails at Israeli cars on the Tunnels Road near Jerusalem.

Documentation of the attempted attack at the Lions' Gate // Archive photo: Police spokeswoman

On Monday, December 20, the Palestinian media reported that the IDF had returned the body of the terrorist, Dr. Hazem al-Julani, a 40-year-old doctor, a resident of Shuafat.

The man carried out a stabbing attack in September this year in the Old City.

This week it was reported in the Palestinian media that another terrorist body had been returned to his family.

This is Omar Abu Assav, who attacked two border fighters near the Ateret Kohanim yeshiva about a month ago.

The statements in the background

Ministers told Israel Today that no decision had been made in the political-security cabinet to change the policy.

It should be noted that most of the senior ministers in the current government have even expressed themselves in the past or even adopted a policy of avoiding the return of terrorist bodies.

These are Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman, while serving as defense ministers in the Netanyahu government.

The deputy prime minister, Yair Lapid, also spoke out against the return of bodies and said he would support legislation in this spirit.

The person who initiated and led the cabinet decision on the matter at the time is Defense Minister Bnei Gantz.

In August 2020, Gantz made a decision to the Cabinet that any body of a terrorist who committed a terrorist incident, regardless of its outcome and regardless of his organizational affiliation, would not be transferred to his family.

Defense Minister Ganz, Photo: Gideon Markovich

Ganz said at the time that "not returning the bodies of terrorists is part of our commitment to maintain the security of the citizens of Israel, and of course to bring the boys home. I suggest to our enemies that they understand and internalize the message well."

Right-wing organizations attacked the return of the bodies.

Matan Peleg, head of the If You Will movement, and Maor Tzemach of Lech Yerushalayim told Israel Today:

In September 2020, the Cabinet finally made a decision to stop it, and here we find that in the last two months, three bodies of terrorists have been released.

"These decisions will not restore calm and bring peace. They will bring more terrorism, and constitute a reward for the terrorist organizations. We call on the cabinet ministers who over the years have expressed their opposition to the return of terrorist bodies - to recover and act in accordance with their statements."

"Return of corpses - in exceptional cases"

The Defense Minister's Office said in response that "the Minister continues to lead the return policy without any change. An examination of the data shows that in more than 80 percent of the cases brought to the defense minister in the past year, he decided to possess the bodies. In exceptional cases. "A decision is being made to return the body, in accordance with the recommendations of the security and legal authorities. Minister Ganz will continue to pursue an uncompromising policy of fighting terrorism, along with security, legal and public responsibility."

A security source told Israel Today that the cases in which Ganz ordered the return of the body were exceptional, such as minors or cases of personal and mental situations that could not be specified, and subject to the criteria presented to the High Court.

The security source further explained that in the context of the recent individual attacks, there are more exceptional cases brought to Gantz's door.

However, he stressed that in all cases where the bodies were returned, the terrorists had no organizational affiliation.

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Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2021-12-25

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