Today (Monday) the Knesset plenum approved in first reading the bill to revoke the citizenship or residency of a terrorist operative who receives compensation for committing the act of terrorism.
89 Knesset members supported the proposal compared to 8 who opposed it and it will be returned to the joint committee and the interior and Knesset committees for further discussion.
The law was initiated by Knesset members Ofir Katz, Sharan Hashakal, Simcha Rothman, Oded Forer, Ze'ev Elkin, Yanon Azoulai, Meir Cohen and more.
According to the bill, an Israeli citizen or resident who has been convicted of committing a crime that is a breach of trust to the State of Israel, who has been sentenced to actual imprisonment for that crime and it is proven that the Palestinian Authority is rewarding him for it, it will be possible to revoke his citizenship or his permit for permanent residence as the case may be, and to remove him to the territories of the Palestinian Authority or to the Gaza Strip.
Coalition chairman Ofir Katz. "Change the equation", photo: Oren Ben Hakon
According to the language of the proposed law, the permanent residence permit will be revoked by the Minister of the Interior, after consultation with an advisory committee and with the consent of the Minister of Justice, and the revocation of citizenship will be by the court, at the request of the Minister of the Interior, after consultation with an advisory committee and with the consent of the Minister of Justice.
The proposal delimits the schedule for the process of revoking residency or citizenship and states that a person who received money will be entitled to status in the Palestinian Authority.
The explanation for the proposal reads: "These days, many people who hold Israeli citizenship or residency actually receive monthly salaries from the Palestinian Authority as wages and as a reward for committing acts of terrorism. These salaries gradually increase with the seniority of the people in prison. It is unthinkable that citizens and residents of Israel who not only Those who betrayed the Israeli state and society, but even agreed to receive payment from the Palestinian Authority as a reward for carrying out the act of terrorism and continue to benefit from it, will continue to hold Israeli citizenship or residency."
The head of the Palestinian Authority, Abu Mazen, photo: Reuters
It is also stated in the explanation of the proposal that "a citizen or resident of the State of Israel who has agreed to receive payment directly from the Palestinian Authority, or through a foreign body, as a salary or reward for committing an act of terrorism, or any other offense that has a serious impact on the security of the state, such as himself certifies that he waives on his status as a citizen or resident.
There is an additional and decisive seriousness in the fact that the same citizen or resident of the state, who enjoys all the rights granted to him by the state, commits a terrorist offense and receives a reward from the Palestinian Authority, as a reward for carrying out the act of terrorism."
The chairman of the coalition, MK Ofir Katz, welcomed the approval of the law in the first reading and said: "Today we change the equation, the celebration that existed until today when Jews are murdered, receive a salary from the PA, come back here and receive candy is over.
Anyone who votes against this law is a supporter of terrorism.
In these difficult days, I think that a message is coming out here that we are here, opposition and coalition, as one fist against terrorism, against our real enemies."
MK Sharan Hashel in the Knesset plenum (archive). "Deterrence is the most important thing", photo: Oren Ben Hakon
MK Sharan Hashakal: "Deterrence is the most important thing in preventing terrorist attacks and further bloodshed, along with immediate punishment as much as possible." MK Oded Porer: "I am happy about this law, but I hope that the members of the government will not turn it into a fig leaf, because when Looking at this government's response to the attack, it seems that you are afraid to make the really difficult decisions."
MK Meir Cohen: "The importance of this law is that the majority of the public expects the Knesset to issue a law that has consensus, we would do well if we all vote for it without exception."
Among the members of the Knesset who opposed the law was Knesset member Ofer Kasif who said that "this law is racist at its root. No one has ever thought of denying citizenship to Jewish terrorists, rightfully so. Denying citizenship or residency is fundamentally wrong, anti-democratic and evil. All of it A desire for revenge and hatred that goes beyond the injustice in it will only lead to more violence and bloodshed. The law may start in the Palestinians but it will not stop there, it will continue and it will reach every opponent of the regime, see your warning."
MK Ofer Kasif. "Anti-democratic law", photo: Oren Ben Hakon
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us