Omar Khmeiseh, the director of the Mizan Human Rights Organization in Nazareth, affirmed that the Knesset’s approval of the law to “deport the families of attackers against Israel” comes within the context of the politically tense atmosphere in Israel and the exploitation of the current security situation. The prevailing conditions allow for the escalation of racist discourse against Palestinians and Arabs.
Khmeiseh added that these circumstances are being exploited by ministers and Knesset members who are rushing to pass restrictive laws, resulting in significant harm to public freedoms and human rights.
Late on Thursday morning (November 7, 2024), the Knesset passed, in its second and third readings, a bill allowing the deportation of the families of perpetrators of attacks against Israeli targets to the Gaza Strip or any other location later determined by the Minister of the Interior, based on the circumstances.
Khmeiseh clarified that the law, which was passed by the Knesset, is primarily aimed at punishing the families of individuals accused of engaging in activities against Israeli targets. The punishments apply to family members, including parents, siblings, and spouses. This expands the scope of the punishment to include the entire family, regardless of the role each member played in the event.
He added that the law stipulates that family members of the attacker are considered complicit if they knew about the person’s intent to carry out the attack and did not take “sufficient measures” to prevent it. This raises the question of what “sufficient measures” and “prevention” mean, as the law does not clearly define these terms, leaving ample room for interpretation by the minister according to their personal views. The question remains: What is considered “sufficient” in this context? What exactly is meant by “prevention”?
Khmeiseh also pointed out that the law opens the door for vague definitions of what constitutes support for or endorsement of a terrorist act. For example, anyone who offers condolences, posts pictures, or shares content that can be interpreted as supporting the attack could be considered supportive. These broad definitions place the interpretation of the law in the hands of the minister, whose decisions may be influenced by political and ideological biases.
Khmeiseh concluded his statement by saying that the affected individual has the right to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. However, it seems clear that appeals in this context will not lead to positive outcomes, especially given the charged political climate and the rising tensions in the country, where ministers and Knesset members are competing to enact laws that restrict public freedoms and human rights.
