Terrorist death penalty debate risks hostages, families charge Otzma Yehudit

Representatives of the hostages’ families clashed with Otzma Yehudit MKs during a National Security Committee meeting on Monday on legislating the death penalty for terrorists.

During the meeting, the representatives begged National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir not to advance the bill being pushed by his Otzma Yehudit party because they said the timing could endanger the hostages.

“The timing of this risks the lives of our loved ones beyond the existing risk and it doesn’t even advance any public purpose,” said a statement from the families. “The death penalty is a sensitive topic that needs to be debated in closed meetings and in professional forums.”

“The debate on the death penalty for terrorists is a mental terror attack, a flammable that risks the lives of kidnapped children,” said representative Noam Dan at the meeting.

The families’ request was ignored by the Otzma Yehudit MKs present at the meeting who argued that the law was necessary but didn’t address the issue of the timing.

During the meeting, Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen attacked the hostages’ families after being confronted by one father whose daughter is being held hostage in Gaza. The father accused the lawmakers of debating the bill only because they “want to kill Arabs” and added “you have killed enough”.

‘You do not have a mandate on pain’

Cohen replied, “what is that statement?! You do not have a mandate on the pain. If you want to speak, speak.”

Advertisement

MK Limor Son-Har Melech said that she knew the pain the families are in and that she had been trying to advance the law for 20 years since her husband was murdered in a terror attack in order to prevent this eventuality.

Outside of Otzma Yehudit, members of the coalition and the opposition attacked the far-right party for trying to advance the legislation, saying that it was not the right time.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch said the law wouldn’t be passed.

“The scenes from the Knesset today are unnecessary,” he said. “They harm the war effort, and especially the hostages’ families who are in their most difficult hour. Stop engaging in petty politics.”

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar said he has always been for the death penalty for terrorists, but that this is not the right time.

“Enough with these politics right now,” he said. “We have to focus only on victory and returning the hostages home.”

Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz promised that the bill would not be brought to the Knesset plenum to be voted on.

“The families of the hostages are crying out their pain and the pain of an entire nation,” said opposition leader Yair Lapid. “There’s no limit to the obtusness and lack of shame of the coalition members who preach to the families. What Almog Cohen did today will be remembered forever. He needs to be ashamed of himself.”

Minister Benny Gantz echoed the sentiment that the timing was wrong.

“Whoever initiated the meeting in the Knesset this morning is sabotaging the war effort and harming Israeli society,” he said. “This is the time to strike our enemies, not to fight amongst ourselves.”

After the committee meeting, Ben-Gvir posted a photo of him embracing Gil Dickmann whose cousin is being held hostage in Gaza.

“I love and embrace the hostages’ families and have to tell the truth,” he wrote. “The conception that led us to the tragedy, which included cash payments to Hamas and exploded in our faces, continues now. Just as the ground invasion is important to tighten the pressure on Hamas and return the hostages, so is legislation of the death penalty for its terrorists. In the Middle East, we don’t blink. We strike our enemies with all the tools and force them to their knees.”

Dickmann replied to the tweet telling Ben-Gvir to take his hands off him.

“My expression says everything,” he wrote. “I told you not to hug me, and you hugged me anyway. I told you not to risk our loved ones, and you risked them anyway. All that for a photo.” 

JPost