Four people convicted of terrorism are in the process of deportation and the revocation of their Israeli citizenship, Defense Minister Israel Katz, coalition whip Ofir Katz (Likud), and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel announced on Wednesday.
A confidential status update discussion was held in the Knesset House Committee about the implementation of the law and where it stands, the three added. They said the process of expulsion has begun for hundreds more.
The bill allowing the deportation was passed into law two years ago at the behest of Ofir Katz, who proposed it. The implementation had been held up since, said the three legislators.
The convicted are set to be expelled to the West Bank. The law also states that they could go to the Gaza Strip, but it’s not clear how much of a possibility that is given the Israel-Hamas War and that the enclave is mostly uninhabitable.
The confidential discussion focused on monitoring the implementation of the law to remove citizenship and deport terrorists receiving payments from the Palestinian Authority.
“Terrorists and their supporters will not receive any compensation for what they do. Anyone who chooses murder and hate will be expelled, their citizenship will be nullified, and they will pay the full price,” said the defense minister.
Palestinian human rights org appealed to Supreme Court
Adalah, a Palestinian human rights legal aid organization, explained, “The government is reportedly advancing these measures under a 2023 amendment to the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law, which authorizes the revocation of the citizenship or permanent residency of individuals convicted of an offense that constitutes an “act of terrorism” as defined by… [the] Counterterrorism Law or other specified offenses, and that according to the interior minister, received monetary benefits from the Palestinian Authority.”
Adalah added that it, along with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, appealed to the High Court to strike down an earlier version of the law. The court upheld the law but ruled that the interior minister must grant permanent residency status to replace citizenship.
The Knesset then passed the law revoking citizenship in 2023, without granting any legal status, if the individual received compensation from the PA, Adalah explained.
Ofir Katz noted that he had been fighting for this legislation for two years, saying, “This is historic.”