The cabinet this week approved a bill that would permit physicians to force feed Arab terrorists imprisoned in Israel who have launched a hunger strike. The private bill will now be brought to Knesset for the second and final reading.

Yisrael Beitenu leader MK Avigdor Lieberman is not counted among the voices lauding the bill. He feels that if an Arab terrorist wishes to launch a hunger strike, he should be permitted to do just that.

Addressing a Yisrael Beitenu faction meeting, Lieberman expressed criticism against the coalition. He feels the Netanyahu-led coalition is being deterred by terror instead of being a deterrence to acts of terrorism.

Lieberman feels that a lesson can be learned from the IRA and the British. He explained that while hunger strikers during the tenure of British PM Margaret Thatcher died, she remained adamant and effused to give in to them. He feels Israel should do the same with hunger-striking Arab terrorists.

The Israel Medical Organization has come out against the bill, which the organization views as “immoral and unethical”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)