A new Israeli law allows for the deportation of families of Palestinian attackers, including Israelis, to the Gaza Strip or elsewhere.
The law passed the Israeli parliament, officially known as the Knesset, by a 61-41 vote early Thursday and was backed by lawmakers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and its far-right allies. Deportation of next of kin of terrorists may be ordered by Interior Minister authorities after public hearing, reports say Jerusalem Post.
Family members who had prior knowledge of the attack but did not report it to the police, or who “expressed support for or identification with terrorist acts, or published words of praise, sympathy, or encouragement for terrorist acts or terrorist organizations.'' ” Family members are eligible. law, The Times of Israel reported.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the opening ceremony of the 25th Knesset to commemorate the anniversary of the “Iron Sword” War in Jerusalem, Monday, October 28, 2024. (Debbie Hill/Pool Photo via AP)
They will be exiled for a period of 7 to 20 years. The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has killed tens of thousands of people and left most of the population internally displaced multiple times.
Legal experts believe that attempts to enforce the law are likely to be struck down by Israeli courts.
Police disperse people protesting against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and calling for the release of hostages held by the militant Hamas in the Gaza Strip near the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, Monday, October 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
“In short, this is completely unconstitutional and clearly violates Israel's core values,” said Eran Shamir Bohrer, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute and a former international law expert in the Israeli military. “It's inconsistent with that,” he told The Associated Press.
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The Israeli military monitors activities in the Gaza Strip. (IDF)
It is unclear whether the law will apply in the occupied West Bank, but Israel already has a long-standing policy of demolishing assailants' homes. Palestinians have carried out numerous stabbings, shootings and car ramming attacks against Israelis in recent years.
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Palestinians living in Israel make up about 20% of the country's population. They have citizenship and voting rights but are subject to widespread discrimination. Many also have close family ties to people in the territory, most of whom sympathize with the Palestinian cause.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
