Israel set to approve family deportation

Under the proposed bill families of Palestinian assailants would be sent to the West Bank

In an unprecedented move, the Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation was set to approve a bill yesterday giving the Israeli Interior Minister authority to deport family members of Palestinian assailants from 1948 areas.

Palestinians living on their land, who were not uprooted during the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, hold Israeli citizenship.

They do not, however, enjoy equal rights, and complain that they are treated as second-class citizens.

Relocation

The bill also gives the Minister of Public Security the authority to order the Palestinian Civil Administration in charge of the Occupied West Bank on behalf of the Israeli government to relocate those family members to areas under Palestinian National Authority (PNA) control.

Commenting on the bill, Yisrael Katz, the Israeli Minister of Transportation and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy told Israel’s Channel 7 that family members of the attackers or even those with prior knowledge of the attack will be deported to the West Bank, Gaza and Syria. It was unclear, however, what jurisdiction Israel had to deport Palestinians to Syria or Gaza.

Israel does not have relations with Gaza, ruled by Hamas, nor Syria.

He said the bill would serve as a deterrent to ends attacks on Israelis “once and for all”.

Since October 2015, accelerating violence has rocked both Israel and the Palestinian territories. Palestinians, upset over continuous illegal Jewish raids on Al Haram Al Sharif in occupied East Jerusalem, say they are frustrated over Israel’s disrespect for Palestinian rights, especially in regards to Muslim holy sites.

About 290 Palestinians, 42 Israelis and three other foreign nationals have died in the escalating conflict.

Israel’s regime has implemented a declared policy of collective punishment against Palestinian attackers’ family members including the revoking of their permanent resident status and social benefits, demolishing the family houses of the attackers.

Israel’s Interior Ministry has stripped more than 20,000 Palestinians in Occupied Jerusalem of their residency since Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1967.

Israel’s regime has implemented a declared policy of collective punishment against Palestinian attackers’ family members.