Israeli parliament passes law to deport relatives of Palestinian attackers

The law is likely to be stuck down by the Supreme Court, experts say

Israel's parliament has had a stormy opening after a long recess. On Thursday, it passed a law to deport first-degree relatives of Palestinian attackers to the Gaza Strip and elsewhere. EPA

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Israeli parliament passed a law on Thursday to deport first-degree relatives of Palestinian attackers to the Gaza Strip and elsewhere, in a move that was criticised by human rights groups but widely welcomed by the country’s right wing.

The law, which would result in deportation of seven to 20 years, would apply to family members who knew of an attack or expressed support for one. It relates to Palestinian citizens of Israel – who make up about 20 per cent of its population – and Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem. It is unclear whether the policy would apply to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The vote passed by 61-41 in the Knesset, the country’s parliament, and was led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

It comes amid a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis, some of which have been carried out by Palestinian citizens of Israel, often referred to as Arab-Israelis.

The Knesset also passed a law on Wednesday that permits minors as young as 12 to be imprisoned. Sentences could be up to life if a murder or attempted murder was classed as terrorism related.

Adalah, a Palestinian-run legal organisation in Israel, said in a press release that the two laws “deepen [Israel’s] two-tiered legal system – one for Palestinians and one for Jewish Israelis”.

“These laws embody retribution and vengeance, as openly noted by Israeli lawmakers,” it added.

Both laws were championed by politicians belonging to Mr Netanyahu’s far-right coalition, home to a number of members who have a long history of anti-Palestinian rhetoric. Many pledged to implement similar policies in their manifestos, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir who called for the deportation of “disloyal” politicians and Arab citizens.

Despite the laws being passed, many believe they will be stuck down by the country’s judiciary, which has already expressed disquiet.

Eran Shamir-Borer, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, told AP that the law would most likely be blocked by Israel's Supreme Court.

“The bottom line is this is completely non-constitutional and a clear conflict to Israel’s core values,” Mr Shamir-Borer said.