Israel approves law to deport Palestinians convicted of terrorism
A diverse Knesset majority passed a bill to strip the Israeli citizenship or residency of prisoners convicted of terrorism who receive stipends from the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli parliament adopted a new law on Wednesday revoking the citizenship or residency of Palestinian assailants convicted of terrorism by Israeli courts, and who receive stipends from the Palestinian Authority while serving in prison.
Ninety-four Knesset members voted in favor of the law while 10 objected. The main sponsor of the bill was Knesset member Ofir Katz of the ruling Likud party, but several opposition members signed the text as co-sponsors and many opposition members voted in favor of it.
The newly adopted legislation amends Israel’s 1952 Citizenship Law and affects both Israeli nationals and permanent residents who meet three conditions:
- The person must have been convicted of terror, aiding terror, harming Israeli sovereignty, inciting war or aiding an enemy during wartime.
- He or she must have been sentenced to jail time.
- The person or someone on their behalf receives stipends from the Palestinian Authority while in prison.
The new legislation empowers the Israeli interior minister, with the support of the justice minister, to request that a prisoner's status be revoked. The will also need to support the request before it’s submitted to court. The prisoner will then get the chance to deny receiving stipends from the Palestinian Authority. If no evidence is presented, the court will order for the individual's legal status to be revoked and once the prisoner is released from jail, he or she will no longer be able to live in Israel.
