Jerusalem: Israel’s Knesset on Thursday passed a new law targeting Palestinians that will add to their problems. This Israeli law applies to the families of the Palestinian attackers who carried out a terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Now, with this new law, families of Palestinian attackers will be deported to the Gaza Strip and other places affected by the war. Israel’s new law has caused panic among the attackers’ families.
The law is backed by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and its far-right allies. The law passed by a vote of 61 to 41 but is likely to be challenged in court. The law will apply to Palestinian citizens of Israel and residents of East Jerusalem annexed to Israeli territory. They will be deported to the Gaza Strip or other locations for seven to 20 years. Israel’s war with Hamas continues in Gaza, with thousands killed and many internally displaced.
Houses of attackers’ families to be demolished
Netanyahu’s government also plans to demolish the homes of families of Israeli attackers. It was unclear whether the expulsion plan would apply to the occupied West Bank, where Israel is pursuing a policy of demolishing the homes of attackers’ families. Palestinians have carried out dozens of knife attacks, shootings and car rammings against Israelis in recent years. Dr. Elan Shamir Borrell, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute and a former expert on international law in the Israeli military, said that if the law were challenged in the Supreme Court, If passed, the bill would likely be repealed based on previous cases in Israel related to deportations.
Important changes occurred in the 1967 war
In the 1967 Middle East War, Israel occupied Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These are areas where Palestinians want supremacy. Israel withdrew settlers and troops from Gaza in 2005 but has retaken some territory since the war began following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Israel annexed East Jerusalem, but this is not recognized by the international community. Palestinians there have permanent residency and are allowed to apply for citizenship, but most are unwilling to do so, and those who do face many obstacles.
Palestinians living in Israel make up about 20% of the country’s population. They have citizenship and voting rights but face widespread discrimination. Many of them also have close family ties to people living in the area, and most of them are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. (Associated Press)
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