A farce in the Knesset: In the shadow of the serious attack near the community of Ali, and Gal and the volatile security situation in Judea and Samaria, Israel Hayom has learned that the Deportation of Terrorists Law – which was intended to combat terrorism and passed the Knesset by a huge majority of 95 Knesset members from the coalition and opposition four months ago – is not being implemented.
In a confidential delay discussion held by Knesset Committee Chairman Ofir Katz, who was one of the initiators of the law, it emerged that the security agencies, the Shin Bet and the IDF, did not provide the necessary information so that the Minister of the Interior could revoke the citizenship of terrorists and deport them to the Palestinian Authority or the Gaza Strip.
MK Ofir Katz, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The law stipulates that the Minister of the Interior will revoke Israeli citizenship or residency from a terrorist convicted of a terrorist offense on condition that it is proven that he received money for his actions from the Palestinian Authority, and the terrorist will be deported to the Palestinian Authority or the Gaza Strip.
As stated, in order to implement the law, it must be proven that the terrorists have Israeli citizenship or the answers have received money from the PA since the law was passed, and this is the information that has not yet been received from the security agencies so that the Minister of the Interior can revoke citizenship.
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An inquiry by Israel Hayom reveals an entire farce regarding the handling of the law by security officials. The Defense Ministry says it does not have the legal authority to collect information about Israeli citizens, nor does it have the legal authority to transfer such information.
In Israel Hayom's first appeal to the Shin Bet, they replied that the responsibility for transferring information lies with the IPS. MK Amit Halevy worked from the first day of the passage of the law to have the IPS pass on the information about prisoners convicted of terrorism and released in order to know to whom the law can be applied. The list received indicates that there are 500 convicted terrorists with the potential to revoke citizenship. But the IPS is not entrusted with information about who receives funds from the PA.
Prisoners in security prisons, photo: Moshe Shai (archive)
Afterwards, Israel Hayom learned that there was a Shin Bet projector named N. who was in charge of monitoring the information which of the terrorists convicted of terrorism received money from the PA, and he told Interior Ministry officials that the one who should pass on the information was the IDF. The Shin Bet spokesperson confirmed that what the projector said was true.
In response to Israel Hayom's question about why information about any of the terrorists with Israeli citizenship who were convicted and receive money from the PA has not yet been received, despite the fact that the law was passed four months ago. The IDF refused to officially respond.
Amit Halevi, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
It should be noted that according to the MKs who took part in the enactment of the law, representatives of the defense establishment said that information about PA funds is received on an ongoing basis and therefore the law should not be enacted retroactively on terrorists who received money before the law came into force, and this is what was done. Now it turns out that the collection of information is not so simple, or that it is a low priority of security officials.
Attorney Tehila Erel of the Legal Bureau of the Population Authority in the Ministry of the Interior said in the open delaying hearing held before the confidential hearing: "The Minister of the Interior sent an appeal to the Ministries of Defense, Public Security and the Shin Bet in order to establish an inter-ministerial team to implement the law, but without a response. In addition, we have not received the relevant information about those to whom the law relates."
Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz said: We are not legislating a law for letters to be written into the law book, but that the law will be implemented, and it is inconceivable that 4 months have passed since its enactment and nothing has happened, even though I have contacted the relevant ministers. As chairman of the coalition, as they treated this law with indifference, I will also be indifferent to the laws of the Defense Ministry and the Interior Ministry."
MK Amit Halevy added: "A few weeks ago, the Israel Prison Service submitted to the Interior Ministry a database of terrorists convicted of terrorism, both imprisoned and released, to whom the law is relevant," adding that "you are required to make the right priorities, this is about human life."
The IPS said: "An examination conducted shows that all the data regarding the provisions of the law in question, which are in Sheves' possession and responsibility, have been transferred."
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