MK Forer to INN: ‘Legislate removal of terrorists’ families – enough acceptance’

MK Oded Forer calls on government to pass law to remove terrorists’ families from Israel, prevent terrorists from returning home after release from prison.

By Yoni Kempinski, INN   6 December 2023

Oded Forer

MK Oded Forer (Yisrael Beytenu) believes that a bill removing terrorists’ families from Israel should be passed as quickly as possible, and will increase deterrence against terror.

“We do not have a desire to make headlines and media noise, but truly to give another tool to the defense echelon in their battle against terror,” Forer told Israel National News – Arutz Sheva in an interview.

“This bill was legislated and passed its preliminary reading at the start of the year, and since then it has been stuck. I have no intention of allowing this bill to become a declaration of a law – like this government has done many times. We need to advance this bill.”

Forer also responded to the fact that Israel has returned terrorists to their homes, as part of the prisoner swap deal: “We need to deal with this matter as well. I submitted a bill which declares that a terrorist who carried out a terror attack will not be able to return to his home when he is released. I think that right now, there is a less clear statement by the government, and it continues to take one step forward and two steps back.”

“We are still trapped in the concept of what was before October 7. The central change must be that the words, ‘to accept,’ ‘to swallow,’ or ,’to turn a new leaf,’ in order to avoid dealing with the problems need to be erased from memory. We need to deal with the problems when they are small – otherwise, we saw what can happen.”

When asked if his party would consider joining the government, Forer said, “The more I hear the parties, the more I understand that there is less desire right now that we join the government. We are already 60 days into the fighting. If they had wanted [Yisrael Beytenu chief MK] Avigdor Liberman in the govenrment, the Prime Minister would have invited Liberman to join the War Cabinet. The reason is simple: Avigdor Liberman has a world view that apparently does not fit with that of those who are sitting in the War Cabinet right now. They do not want him to bother them, and they are making noise as if they want to bring him in.”