Naftali Bennett: Israel will no longer release the bodies of terrorists

The new policy will be introduced shortly in the Security Cabinet as part of a broader deterrence policy.

MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN

NOVEMBER 27, 2019 11:26

Naftali Bennett has a decision to make. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Israel will no longer release the bodies of terrorists, according to a new policy by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett.

This will be the case regardless of to which terrorist organization the person belonged.

Bennett instructed the IDF and the defense establishment on Tuesday to completely stop the release of terrorist bodies.The decision came following a number of discussions that he held on the issue of deterrence with senior security officials.

Exceptions, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defense, will only be made in extenuating circumstances and at the discretion of the defense minister.

The new policy will be introduced shortly in the Security Cabinet, as part of a broader deterrence policy, and will come into effect after the cabinet’s approval.

In January 2018, while the Knesset was debating a bill that would make it harder for the remains of terrorists to be given over for burial, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) said the policy of returning bodies encouraged terrorist attacks.

“There is no concept of respect for the dead when it comes to terrorists who killed people,” Erdan said then.

Hamas has been holding the bodies of two Israelis in Gaza since 2014: Oron Shaul, who was 20 at the time he was killed and kidnapped, and Hadar Goldin, who was 23.

According to a source close to the ministry, the policy change is based on a request made by the Goldin family in their meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu last week, a reporter for the Hebrew internet site Ynet reported on Twitter. At that meeting, the PM expressed his willingness to make this change, and instructed the defense establishment to examine the issue.

“גורם מדיני” מצנן מעט את ההחלטה:

“מדובר בבקשה לשינוי מדיניות שעלתה ע”י משפחת גולדין בפגישתם עם רה”מ נתניהו בשבוע שעבר. בפגישה הביע רה”מ נכונות לשינוי, והנחה את מערכת הביטחון לבדוק את הנושא”. https://t.co/1nlRa1Loe3

— יואב זיתון (@yoavzitun) November 27, 2019

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