The Knesset on Tuesday, 19 Adar, approved a bill in its first reading presented by Ministers Erdan and Shaked to prevent the return of the bodies of terrorists and thereby permit families to conduct large funerals. The bill has to now pass its second and third readings.

The bill will empower police to hold a body of a terrorist if officials fear the funeral of a terrorist will turn to a rallying point of result in violence. Police will also have the authority to prevent return of a body if it feels the funeral will become a scene of incitement or result in an attack against others.

Police will be entitled to make the following demands prior to the return of a body to the family of a terrorist.

1. Setting a limit on the number of people permitted to attend the funeral.

2. A list of the persons who will attend.

3. The right to exclude a certain individual(s) from a funeral if their presence is viewed as a danger to public safety.

4. Setting the time and date of the funeral as well as the route.

5. Setting a list of items prohibited from carrying during the funeral.

6. In certain circumstances, police may also have a say in the location of the funeral.

7. Police may demand monetary bond prior to the funeral to ensure compliance.

Interior Committee Chairman MK Yoav Kish added all too often, the funerals of terrorists become a forum for anti-Israel incitement, far more than just another posting to Facebook, but a “hate event and incitement to encourage additional acts of terrorism. Such forums can be avoided by refraining from returning a body of a terrorist, and now police will have this authority”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)