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Netanyahu’s government full steam ahead with undemocratic legislation

Israeli security and judicial systems both object to measures against Palestinian civilians, yet the Netanyahu government keeps advancing undemocratic legislation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Prime Minister's Office Director Yoav Horowitz arrive to the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem December 16, 2018. Abir Sultan/Pool via REUTERS - RC115D97C030
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On Dec. 19, the Knesset passed a preliminary reading of a bill that would allow the expulsion of family members of Palestinian assailants from their homes to other locations in the West Bank. The process leading to this approval was not a trivial one; the bill moved forward despite objections from the attorney general’s office and the Shin Bet.

I asked a senior source in the security establishment whether any security figure at all had recommended to the prime minister that families of terrorists be moved from their villages to other villages in the West Bank as a form of punishment to deter future terrorism. Before I finished my question, he burst into uproarious laughter. “It’s an outlandish idea that no security official would recommend to the government and wouldn’t even think of doing so,” he answered, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Not only because it’s nearly impossible to enforce such a decision and make sure families indeed move and settle in a new place, but that these families — if they indeed move — would become symbols of heroism in any Palestinian town they move to. They would be much honored and receive special financial support. Such punishment would do the opposite of deterrence, it would cause unnecessary friction between the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and the Palestinian population. If these families don’t leave their homes willingly and force is needed to remove them, it could cause an outbreak of violence. This is the last thing the IDF wants to see. But apparently this doesn’t really matter to government ministers.”

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