The Israeli parliament (Knesset) on Monday approved a bill cancelling shortened sentence for Palestinian prisoners for its first reading in the Knesset plenum.
According to the bill submitted by MKs Miki Zohar (Likud) Anat Berko (Likud) and Oded Forer (Yisrael Beitenu) those sentenced to prison for anti-occupation attacks or attempted attacks which according to the bill constitute acts of terror will not be eligible for parole.
“The law is meant to prevent or reduce terror” claimed MK Zohar the chairman of the knesset committee that advanced the bill. “A criminal act carried out for criminal purposes is usually carried out individually by one person against another while criminal acts by terrorists are carried out against all the citizens of Israel and the State of Israel. Therefore we are trying to create a balance of deterrence because terrorists know there is a good chance their sentence will be reduced by a third.”
“We believe it is the will of the people not to forgive or pardon terrorists who harm the security of the state” he added. “I want to sever their hopes of having a third of their sentence deducted.”
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