Bill revoking citizenship for 'pay-for-slay' terrorists reaches final vote
If the bill passes in the Knesset, the interior minister would be able to revoke Israeli citizenship or residency over what is commonly referred to as "pay-for-slay"
A bill to revoke Israeli citizenship and deport convicted terrorists who received payment from the Palestinian Authority passed its second and third readings on Tuesday and will be presented at the Knesset plenum on Wednesday.
During the hearing on Tuesday, Justice Ministry legal adviser Avital Sternberg said there was an issue with a clause that says the PA cannot dispute affiliation with the terrorist.
“The responsibility to prevent the next attack is on us, not on any lawyer,” Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz (Likud) said. “Those who intend to oppose what we are bringing here, after all the compromises we have made, are welcome to explain it to the bereaved families and the people of Israel.”
If the bill passes in the Knesset, the interior minister would be able to revoke Israeli citizenship or residency over what is commonly referred to as “pay-for-slay” – stipends given to terrorists and their families.
The legislation says such payments create a relationship in which the terrorist is subject to the authority of the PA. The terrorist would subsequently be able to be deported to PA territories or the Gaza Strip.
The interior minister would have to request to revoke Israeli citizenship and deport the terrorist 14 days after the conviction. The justice minister would have to approve the request within seven days and the court within 30 days.
The bill has received broad bipartisan support since its introduction.
The Citizenship Law, first enshrined in 1952, allows the interior minister to submit a request to the courts to strip a person of their citizenship for terrorism, espionage, using false means to acquire citizenship or obtaining citizenship from an enemy state. It requires the interior minister to ask the attorney-general for permission to apply for the revocation. The new law would not require the A-G to be involved.
The High Court of Justice upheld the constitutionality of the law in 2022, but it has only been successfully applied once. Two other times, the applications failed.
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