Israeli Law to Deport Terrorists' Families Stalls Despite 130 Cases Since 2024
Since the enactment of the law permitting the deportation of terrorists' family members in November 2024, no family member has been expelled from Israel. According to internal documents, correspondence, and protocols obtained by ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth reporters Amir Ettinger and Netael Bendel, the police collected 130 cases and submitted dozens of requests to the Interior Ministry for review. The law, approved by a Knesset majority of 61 members, allows the Interior Minister to order deportation after a hearing if a family member knew in advance about a terror attack plan and failed to prevent it, or if they expressed support, identification, or praise for the terrorist act.
The initiative began with Jerusalem District Commander Udi Ronen, who gathered names of terrorists' relatives suspected of supporting terrorism. This local effort expanded into a policy of the police's Investigations and Intelligence Division. Out of 130 cases, 55 requests were sent to the Interior Minister, with 35 involving incitement publications still accessible online. The Population Authority ultimately identified 13 cases meeting legal criteria. However, processing these requests was halted due to legal and practical disputes, including questions about retroactive application, the need to revoke citizenship or residency before deportation, and coordination requirements with the Shin Bet security service.
Another obstacle was the absence of a serving Interior Minister, with no transfer of authority to the Prime Minister or another minister as stipulated by law. The police stated they received no directive from the State Attorney's Office to stop their activity and that their role was to gather information and forward it to authorized bodies. Conversely, the State Attorney's Office clarified that the necessary legal groundwork to assess the law's implications had not yet been completed. Additionally, an interim Supreme Court ruling limiting proactive monitoring of individuals without suspicion of a crime affected the method of identifying candidates, leading to a freeze on activities based on identifying family members first and then reviewing their publications.
In summary, despite numerous requests and police efforts, the law to deport terrorists' families remains unimplemented in practice.
