Israel weighs deporting suicide bomber families

Reuters | 6/24/02 | Danielle Haas

[kattracks]

    JERUSALEM, June 24 (Reuters) - Israeli officials said on 
Monday that legal experts were examining a government-backed 
plan to deport families of Palestinian suicide bombers as a 
means of deterring further deadly attacks. 
 "The security cabinet has decided in principle to deport 
families of suicide bombers and leaders of terror groups from 
the West Bank to Gaza but this is under legal examination," an 
Israeli political source said, referring to the security cabinet 
that groups Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and top ministers. 
    Officials said the army and the Justice Ministry were 
examining the proposal, discussed by the security cabinet on 
Friday, and the attorney general would announce his decision 
within days. 
   Some legal experts said it was far from certain the measure 
would get the go-ahead. 
    Supporters of the plan, among them Defence Minister Binyamin 
Ben-Eliezer, say the attacks have left Israel little option but 
to expel the families of suicide bombers as a warning to others. 
    "Suicide bombers should know there is a personal price to 
pay for blowing themselves up and that we cannot allow support 
of terror," Defence Ministry spokesman Yarden Vatikay said. 
    Palestinian Labour Minister Ghassan al-Khatib said  
deportations would be a "very grave step" that would violate 
international law and "double the suffering of families who are 
already in pain after losing their sons due to occupation". 
    "The decision if adopted will only contribute to increasing 
hatred and enmity and ignites violence instead of quelling it." 
    Israeli rights groups also denounced the possibility of the 
deportations. 
    "We think it infringes the basic moral rule that every man 
is responsible only for what he or she does and other people 
aren't responsible for their deeds," said Naama Carmi, 
chairwoman of the Association of Civil Rights in Israel. 
    "Collective punishment like this is also not allowed in 
international law," she said, adding that families thought to 
have assisted an attack should be put on trial. 
    Some relatives and friends of Palestinian suicide attackers 
have supported the actions of their loved ones, including Naima 
el Abed, who praised her son's actions hours before he carried 
out an attack on a Jewish settlement in Gaza earlier this month. 
    "This is the best day of my life. God willing, you will 
become a martyr and you will be successful," she said as she sat 
beside her son Mahmoud in a video recorded shortly before he was 
killed in a failed effort to infiltrate the settlement. 

LEGAL MINEFIELD A report in Israel's Maariv newspaper said on Monday that officials in the military prosecutor's office weighing the plan had determined there was "no possibility of deporting -- or striking in any other way" at the families of suicide bombers. It said members of the security establishment had also raised concerns that deportations could prompt petitions to law courts at home and abroad, and draw international criticism. "It's likely the High Court will declare the step illegal unless they can prove it is preventive and that in most cases the family knows before the attack," Menachem Hofnung, an expert in politics and law at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, said. "It's a slippery slope and a desperate move of a government after nothing else has worked. International law and public opinion are a consideration, but internal security issues and public opinion, which is related, are even more," he said. Sharon's government is struggling to cope with a wave of attacks in a Palestinian uprising against occupation in which at least 548 Israelis and 1,422 Palestinians have been killed since September 2000. Israel has begun building a fence along its West Bank frontier to prevent the infiltration of suicide bombers, and has in the past demolished their houses. One idea, floated by an Israeli minister but never executed, was to bury Muslim suicide bombers in pig skins, considered impure in Islam, in order to deter more strikes. Israeli officials said Israel deported about 400 Hamas militants to Lebanon in 1992 and it has exiled relatives of Palestinians blamed for killing Israelis, but it would be the first time such steps have been taken against whole families. ((Jerusalem newsroom, 972-2-537-0502, jerusalem.newsroom@reuters.com))

24 JUN 2002 14:43:13 Israel weighs deporting suicide bomber families

© 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

[goldstategop]

The Palestinians and the so called Israeli human rights groups call this "collective punishment?" I think its insufficient. I think the families of homocide bombers should be executed and buried in pigskin. Now that all on its own should snuff out the problem.

[Mamzelle]

How much do they weigh?

Sorry, can't help it, habits of an old copyeditor.

If the bomber's families rec' money for aiding and abetting in murder, deportation is hardly unreasonable. They should not be allowed to collect a bounty.

[AAABEST]

If they aren't going to kill them and hang their heads from lamp posts as an example to others, I guess deporting them will have to do.

[SouthernFreebird]

Maybe they could just come up missing ..........

[Lazamataz]

Wisdom.

They must have been cruising my threads.

[Reactionary]

Beautiful! I was hoping they would do this!

[Petar Mrkonjic]

I think its insufficient. I think the families of homocide bombers should be executed and buried in pigskin.

This could be a boon to Romanians wanting to enter Israel to work.After all,no Israeli will handle the pigskin either.

[Stultis]

Palestinian Labour Minister Ghassan al-Khatib said deportations would be a "very grave step" that would violate international law and "double the suffering of families who are already in pain after losing their sons due to occupation".

Un-freaking-believable (if utterly predictable). The Pallies indoctrinate their children in hate while toddlers, dressing innocent, big-eyed, uncomprehending 4 year olds in mock suicide garb, then, when they are 22, 18 or 14, strap the real thing to their bodies, carefully packed with screws and nails to riddle the flesh of their victims, and send them out to immolate themselves and murder civilians, having prepared celebratory posters, videos and wakes, but, despite all this effort and indoctrination and glorifaction in murder and infanticide, it's all the Jews' fault.

[kinghorse]

The western style of deliberation and consensus must drive the enemy crazy. It drives westerners who lust for blood crazy too but in the end is the proper way to move the process forward. Eye for eye seems proper but the Palis have more eyes to donate to the cause.

I definitely think the idea of punishing the family is appropriate. Fuggers making heros out of baby killers is sick sick sick.

[Reactionary]

The Palestinians and the so called Israeli human rights groups call this "collective punishment?"

Oh, yes. Is this the same group of people who want to punish all white Americans for the legacy of slavery? The same group who tax the "rich," the same people who want to punish Israel for "war crimes?

You bet they are.

[goldstategop]

Of course. And this chutzpah of this statement is even more amazing when one considers these barbarians and savages glorify blowing up little boys and girls for Allah too.

[Petar Mrkonjic]

"The security cabinet has decided in principle to deport families of suicide bombers and leaders of terror groups from the West Bank to Gaza but this is under legal examination," an Israeli political source said

Do you think that the terrorists will continue to name the suicide bombers after this goes into effect?

[KMJames]

If the bomber's families rec' money for aiding and abetting in murder, deportation is hardly unreasonable. They should not be allowed to collect a bounty.

Agreed. If they receive(d) $$$, DEPORT.

If there's evidence of prior knowledge and support of a family member murdering others, arrest and try as accomplices and punish appropriately if convicted...meaning IMPRISONMENT or EXECUTION or DEPORTATION or any combination thereof.

[goldstategop]

Yup. Islamonazis and leftists. Now there's an alliance worthy of all good and true progressives to celebrate!

[goldstategop]

Nope. But the Israelis will find them all the same. When would be homocide bombers can't even be assured their own families are safe they'll abandon martyrdom in droves.

[Stultis]

BTW, why deportation? Is Israel running out of prison space? Seriously, shouldn't those family members who can be proven to have known of the bomber's murderous intentions, and who did nothing to stop them, be prosecuted as acessories to their crimes? Why isn't Israel using these laws. (The only rationale I can think of for not doing so is that it might discourage would be bombers from communicating their intentions, some of whom might be talked out of it.)

[Howlin]

[MrB]

strap the real thing to their bodies, carefully packed with screws and nails

Don't forget the rat poison and "septic agents" to cause bleeding and infection in their victims.
I didn't know this until I heard Alan Keyes talk about it. This should be considered as a chemical and biological attack.
This practice needs to be shouted from the rooftops.