Israel passes law to deport relatives of Palestinian attackers

The Israeli Knesset passed a new law on Thursday that would allow the deportation of family members of people convicted of terrorist offenses, including Israeli citizens, while experts said it was aimed at Palestinians.

Relatives who had advance knowledge and either failed to report the matter to the police or “expressed support or identification with an act of terrorism” would be deported to the Gaza Strip or another location for seven to 20 years.

It applies to attackers' first degree family members, meaning the parents, siblings or children of those found guilty of committing or supporting terrorism.

The legislation was proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Some opposition members of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, suggested it is targeted only at Palestinian citizens of Israel, sometimes called Israeli Arabs.

Some members of the Knesset suggested during the debate on the bill that it would not be used against Jewish Israeli citizens, the Times of Israel website reported.

Dr Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli political analyst, told the BBC there was "no question" the law was intended to apply to Israeli Arabs and Palestinians.

Legal experts have criticised the validity of the legislation. Legal adviser to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Oded Feller, said applying the law is unlikely, as there is no legal way for the Ministry of Interior to send an Israeli citizen to another country of Gaza.

Israeli citizens, except military personnel, are not legally allowed to enter Gaza.