‘Pay for slay’ citizenship revocation bill progresses
A bill to revoke Israeli citizenship from terrorists who have received monetary compensation from the Palestinian Authority was approved by the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee on Monday morning. It next will be sent to the Knesset plenary.
The bill, which passed with broad support from coalition and opposition MKs, establishes a relationship between terrorists and the PA, which would allow their deportation to Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The decision to revoke citizenship would be introduced by the interior minister, according to the bill. The justice minister would then have seven days to respond, and the court would have 30 days to review it.
According to the committee’s legal adviser, Tomer Rosen, the approval of the attorney-general to revoke citizenship of a terrorist would not be required, since “there is strong evidence that proves both the breach of trust and the relationship to the Palestinian Authority.”
According to the committee, it would be enough to establish that there was just one payment from the PA for the law to apply. Data showed that about 70% of terrorists receive compensation from the PA, the committee said.
Israel was not the only country to pursue revocation of terrorists’ citizenship, committee members said.
The example of Shamima Begum was raised multiple times. Begum, a former British national, had joined Islamic State in Syria and served as an enforcer and recruiter for the terrorist group. Former UK home secretary Sajid Javid revoked her British citizenship, which was upheld by the UK Supreme Court. Her Bangladeshi citizenship remains disputed.
The committee heard from the families of victims of terrorism in favor of the bill. One representative of the Forum of Life told of how he had a Molotov cocktail thrown at his car while his family was inside it.
“He ruined my life, and he’s living like a king,” he said. The man who threw the firebomb has since married and fathered two children while in prison.
The committee vote on the bill came just a few days after a series of terrorist shooting attacks in Jerusalem in which seven people were killed and five wounded.
“Over the weekend, hearts were broken, mine and all of the nation of Israel,” said coalition head Ofir Katz (Likud). “When you bow your head to terrorism, you get more terrorism. We will respond with a strong hand. We have a public and moral duty to every bereaved family to pass this law. It is not possible that while our sisters and brothers are bleeding to death, candy will be handed out across the road. Terrorists can’t be here. Their place is in Gaza.”
On Saturday night, following the terrorist attacks in Jerusalem, a proposal to deport the families of terrorists was raised at the cabinet meeting.
At the meeting, Likud MK Hanoch Milwidsky said Israel should “deport the families.” Citing the judicial reforms proposed by Justice Minister Yariv Levin at the beginning of January, he said without the reforms, there would be legal barriers to proposed measures against terrorists.