Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan has submitted a private bill which would empower Israel Police to set conditions for funerals of terrorists and the families of terrorists would have to agree to those conditions prior to the release of a body for burial.

In recent years, we have witnessed a growing phenomenon in which, after a terrorist attack, expressions of support, sympathy, incitement and identification with the terrorist who carried out the attack are expressed by the organization to which he belonged along with the murderous ideology in whose name he committed the act of terrorism.

In particular, this was expressed during the funeral of those terrorists who carried out the attacks. More than once there were cases in which posters were raised, cries were heard, and speeches were made expressing support for the terrorist attack or calling for additional terrorist acts.

Since the beginning of the wave of terror, Minister Erdan has been leading a strong line regarding the holding of funerals for terrorists and has instructed the police to set strict conditions for holding a funeral in order to ensure that the burial ceremony does not become a campaign of incitement and identification with the terrorist act.

Even after the attack on Har Habayis, in which two border police officers; Hayil Sethawi and the late Kamil Shanan were killed, the police set strict conditions for the family of the terrorists from Um al-Fahm as a condition for holding the funerals. The families turned to the High Court of Justice, which ruled the Israel Police has no authority to delay the transfer of the bodies of terrorists for burial, and that explicit authorization is required in the law for the purpose of exercising such authority.

This bill seeks to amend the legal situation in accordance with the High Court of Justice ruling, and to establish explicit authority for a police district commander to determine that in his opinion there is reasonable suspicion that an act of terrorism will be committed, or if there is support for terrorism, which will not allow the body to be transferred for burial.

During the governmental discussions between the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Justice to promote the bill, the Attorney General’s objection was raised to the wording requested by the Ministry of Public Security, according to which a reasonable suspicion of incitement is sufficient to prevent the delivery of the body. Minister Erdan is promoting a private bill led by MK (Likud) Anat Berko and MK (Bayit Yehudi) Betzalel Smotrich.

Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan: The funerals of the terrorists have become incitement events that cause people to go out and hit, and we saw this accompanied by the mass terrorists in Um al-Fahm. My duties as Minister of Public Security are to prevent such funerals. Funerals for terrorists will be held only when they meet police conditions.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)