bigrus

Israel approves law allowing families of Palestinian attackers to be deported

Harry November 7, 2024

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s parliament passed a law early Thursday that would allow family members of Palestinian attackers, including the country’s own citizens, to be deported to the war-torn Gaza Strip or other locations.

The law, championed by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and their far-right allies, passed by a vote of 61 to 41 but will likely be challenged in court.

This would apply to Palestinian citizens of Israel and residents of annexed East Jerusalem who had prior knowledge of family members’ attacks or “expressed support for or identification with terrorist activity.”

They will be deported to the Gaza Strip or elsewhere for a period of 7 to 20 years. The Israel-Hamas war still rages in Gaza, where tens of thousands of people have been killed and most of the population has been internally displaced.

It was unclear whether this would apply in the occupied West Bank, where Israel has a long-standing policy of demolishing the family homes of attackers. Palestinians have carried out numerous stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks against Israelis in recent years.

Dr. D., a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute and a former international law expert in the Israeli army. Eran Shamir-Borer said that if the law reaches the Supreme Court, it will likely be struck down based on Israel’s previous cases. deportation.

“The bottom line is that this is completely unconstitutional and a clear contradiction with Israel’s core values,” Shamir-Borer said.

Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war; Territories that Palestinians want for their future state. It withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005 but has reoccupied part of the territory since a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 triggered war.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem in a move unrecognized by most of the international community. Palestinians there have the right to permanent residence and are allowed to apply for citizenship, but many choose not to do so, and those who do face a number of obstacles.

Palestinians living in Israel make up approximately 20 percent of the country’s population. They have citizenship and the right to vote, but they face widespread discrimination. Many have close family ties to people in the region, and many are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.