Commentary | Israel Threatens to Strip Citizenship of Terror Sympathizers
The country will be allowed to strip individuals of citizenship if they “express solidarity with terror groups or incite terror during times of war." By Talya Woolf
IsraelDefense
| 06/11/2023
The funeral of Mani and Ayelet Godard, who were killed in their home in the Israeli Kibbutz of Be'eri during the 7th of October attacks by the Islamist terrorist group Hamas
Written by Talya Woolf
In 2015, the Los Angeles Times published an article about governments debating the revocation of citizenship if those individuals joined the Islamic State or other militant groups training in the Middle East.
Netanyahu was claimed to have joined leaders in France, Belgium, Norway, Australia, Britain, and Canada in strengthening the country’s defenses against terrorism. The article mentioned that the interest started after that year’s November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris and the October 31 bombing of a Russian passenger jet.
“Whoever joins ISIS will not be an Israeli citizen. And if he leaves the borders of the state, he will not return.” Netanyahu said.
Eight years later, even after the darkest day since the Holocaust, it seems that anyone living in Israel can spout pro-terror and anti-Israel rhetoric without repercussion.
According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the Arab-Israeli population in 2023 was 2.1 million, representing 21 percent of the country’s population. Many Arabs have ties to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. And as of 2017, in a Jerusalem Post survey of Arab citizens, 37% of them had an unfavorable view of the State of Israel.
Many Israeli Arabs are demonstrating solidarity with victims of the Hamas ‘Black Saturday’ attack of October 7 on Israel; others remain silent on the issue. The question remains: what of those who are loudly pro-Hamas and pro-terror, inciting terror and encouraging violence?
Earlier this year, in February, the Knesset approved a law stripping convicted terrorists with Israeli nationality of their citizenship, but this was only the case if the individual was receiving funding from the PA or an associated organization. The law was an amendment to Israel’s 1952 Citizenship law and allowed the Minister of the Interior to revoke status after a hearing – even if they lacked a second citizenship (but only if they had a permanent residence outside of Israel).
Israeli Ministers Yariv Levin (Justice Minister) and Moshe Arbel (Interior Minister) are now examining the possibility of denying citizenship to those who support or incite terrorism, according to a Ynet article published on October 26, 2023. They held a meeting with professionals on the issue of denying citizenship and residency to those who engage in, support, incite, or sympathize with, an act of terrorism.
A joint statement by the ministers included, "in view of the war situation, it was agreed to immediately promote legislation that would see the execution of such actions during wartime, as an aggravating circumstance for the purpose of denying citizenship or residency."
Even Europe recognizes the quickly growing problem of terrorism. In 2019, the Parliamentary Assembly for the Council of Europe discussed the option of withdrawing nationality as a measure to combat terror in their Doc. 14790 (January 7, 2019). A number of Council of Europe member States even adopted legislation making it easier to withdraw nationality (to the point of statelessness) from individuals engaged or suspected of involvement in terrorist activities, some of which without a criminal conviction.
Finally, in Israel, the process of stripping citizenship will continue – though it will only be applicable during wartime when the IDF Homefront Command declares an ‘emergency situation.’ Last week, Minister Arbel unveiled a proposal that would allow the country to strip individuals of citizenship if they “express solidarity with terror groups or incite terror during times of war.” With this law, the Interior Minister would only need the approval of the Justice Minister to remove the citizenship of individuals deemed to be supporting or encouraging terrorism.
As of November 2023, over 100 people have been detained and 24 indicted on charges related to terror. Israeli police say they are taking a zero-tolerance policy toward incitement to violence and support of terrorism. Considering that terrorism and global antisemitism have risen in the hundreds of percent since October 7, it seems that it’s not too soon and perhaps, not nearly enough.
The country will be allowed to strip individuals of citizenship if they “express solidarity with terror groups or incite terror during times of war." By Talya Woolf
The funeral of Mani and Ayelet Godard, who were killed in their home in the Israeli Kibbutz of Be'eri during the 7th of October attacks by the Islamist terrorist group Hamas
Written by Talya Woolf
In 2015, the Los Angeles Times published an article about governments debating the revocation of citizenship if those individuals joined the Islamic State or other militant groups training in the Middle East.
Netanyahu was claimed to have joined leaders in France, Belgium, Norway, Australia, Britain, and Canada in strengthening the country’s defenses against terrorism. The article mentioned that the interest started after that year’s November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris and the October 31 bombing of a Russian passenger jet.
“Whoever joins ISIS will not be an Israeli citizen. And if he leaves the borders of the state, he will not return.” Netanyahu said.
Eight years later, even after the darkest day since the Holocaust, it seems that anyone living in Israel can spout pro-terror and anti-Israel rhetoric without repercussion.
According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the Arab-Israeli population in 2023 was 2.1 million, representing 21 percent of the country’s population. Many Arabs have ties to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. And as of 2017, in a Jerusalem Post survey of Arab citizens, 37% of them had an unfavorable view of the State of Israel.
Many Israeli Arabs are demonstrating solidarity with victims of the Hamas ‘Black Saturday’ attack of October 7 on Israel; others remain silent on the issue. The question remains: what of those who are loudly pro-Hamas and pro-terror, inciting terror and encouraging violence?
Earlier this year, in February, the Knesset approved a law stripping convicted terrorists with Israeli nationality of their citizenship, but this was only the case if the individual was receiving funding from the PA or an associated organization. The law was an amendment to Israel’s 1952 Citizenship law and allowed the Minister of the Interior to revoke status after a hearing – even if they lacked a second citizenship (but only if they had a permanent residence outside of Israel).
Israeli Ministers Yariv Levin (Justice Minister) and Moshe Arbel (Interior Minister) are now examining the possibility of denying citizenship to those who support or incite terrorism, according to a Ynet article published on October 26, 2023. They held a meeting with professionals on the issue of denying citizenship and residency to those who engage in, support, incite, or sympathize with, an act of terrorism.
A joint statement by the ministers included, "in view of the war situation, it was agreed to immediately promote legislation that would see the execution of such actions during wartime, as an aggravating circumstance for the purpose of denying citizenship or residency."
Even Europe recognizes the quickly growing problem of terrorism. In 2019, the Parliamentary Assembly for the Council of Europe discussed the option of withdrawing nationality as a measure to combat terror in their Doc. 14790 (January 7, 2019). A number of Council of Europe member States even adopted legislation making it easier to withdraw nationality (to the point of statelessness) from individuals engaged or suspected of involvement in terrorist activities, some of which without a criminal conviction.
Finally, in Israel, the process of stripping citizenship will continue – though it will only be applicable during wartime when the IDF Homefront Command declares an ‘emergency situation.’ Last week, Minister Arbel unveiled a proposal that would allow the country to strip individuals of citizenship if they “express solidarity with terror groups or incite terror during times of war.” With this law, the Interior Minister would only need the approval of the Justice Minister to remove the citizenship of individuals deemed to be supporting or encouraging terrorism.
As of November 2023, over 100 people have been detained and 24 indicted on charges related to terror. Israeli police say they are taking a zero-tolerance policy toward incitement to violence and support of terrorism. Considering that terrorism and global antisemitism have risen in the hundreds of percent since October 7, it seems that it’s not too soon and perhaps, not nearly enough.
