Unit 1012 Cover Photo

Unit 1012 Cover Photo

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

NETANYAHU WILL SEEK DEATH PENALTY FOR TERRORISTS


After opposing capital punishment over the years, PM tells Salomon family (Thursday July 27, 2017), who lost three members in terror attack in Halamish, that it's time 'to wipe the smile off the terrorist's face'; while military law allows it, the government needs to change its policy on the matter to enable judges to hand down such a sentence.

"It's time we start giving death sentences to terrorists," the prime minister told the mourning family. "It's enshrined in law, it requires a unanimous decision by the judges, but they also want to know the government's position. And my position as the prime minister, in this instance of such a heinous murderer—he needs to be executed. We need to wipe the smile off his face."
– Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, changed from an opponent to supporter of capital punishment


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) pays a condolence call to the family of Rabbi Achiad Ettinger in the West Bank settlement of Eli, March 19, 2019 (Haim Zach/GPO)

VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: MONSTER CANNOT CONTINUE TO WALK AMONG US
Netanyahu to slain rabbi’s family: We’ll seek to enact death penalty for terror
But PM says legislation ‘not promising’ and ‘we don’t determine the punishment’; relatives of Achiad Ettinger accuse IDF soldiers of failing to open fire at terrorist

By TOI STAFF
Today, 5:19 pm 3

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday paid a condolence call to the family of Rabbi Achiad Ettinger, who was killed in a combined shooting and stabbing terror attack in the northern West Bank on Sunday.

During the visit in the central West Bank settlement of Eli, Netanyahu told the bereaved family he would attempt to legislate the death penalty for terrorists in Israel. “It’s not promising, it’s not promising,” he added, according to footage from the visit.

Ettinger, a 47-year-old father of 12, succumbed to his injuries on Monday, a day after the attack that began at Ariel Junction, in which IDF soldier Gal Keidan, 19, was also killed.

According to Israeli authorities, after fatally stabbing Keidan, the suspect, who has been named as Omar Abu Laila, 18, grabbed his gun and opened fire at passing vehicles, hitting Ettinger. He then stole a vehicle and drove to the nearby Gitai junction, where he opened fire again, wounding IDF soldier Alexander Dvorsky. The terrorist remains at large.

Efrat Ettinger, the victim’s daughter, told Netanyahu that terrorists who carry out deadly attacks should not be allowed to live.

“I think that a person who makes a decision to take such action — it must be clear that he will die,” she said. “A monster like this cannot continue to walk among us.”

“Terrorists are inciting, and want to kick us out of here. I promise they won’t be successful.” – Benjamin Netanyahu
In response, Netanyahu emphasized his government’s attempts to advance the death penalty for convicted terrorists.

Although the death penalty formally exists in Israeli law, it has only ever been used once — in 1962 in the case of Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects of the Holocaust. It is technically allowed in cases of high treason, as well as in certain circumstances under the martial law that applies within the IDF and in the West Bank, but currently requires a unanimous decision from a panel of three judges, and has never been implemented.

“We’ve identified the three-judge restriction that exists [in the law],” Netanyahu told Efrat Ettinger. “We don’t determine the punishment. We will try to reduce the need for three judges.”

“It’s not promising, It’s not promising,” he added, apparently in the first public acknowledgement that legislation faces significant obstacles.

“It would be better to drown these prisoners in the Dead Sea if possible, since that's the lowest point in the world.” - Avigdor Lieberman

Legislation that would have expanded the use of the death penalty in terror cases failed to advance late last year amid political wrangling after Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman, who had been pushing the bill, left the coalition.

Netanyahu, who as defense minister oversees the military prosecution, backed the death penalty bill in November. He also called for the death penalty after a 2017 terror attack in which several members of a family were knifed to death inside their home in the West Bank settlement of Halamish.

However, the legislation has been opposed by security officials, including Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman who called it “unhelpful” when testifying before the Knesset panel in November.

During the visit, Netanyahu was also confronted by relatives of Achiad Ettinger over IDF soldiers’ alleged hesitation to respond at the scene of the terror attack, after reports emerged that several servicemen failed to open fire. The army said it was investigating.

“I want soldiers to act properly, not as the media says,” said Rachel Ettinger, the sister of the slain rabbi. “How they reacted in the terror attack — this is the result of hesitation.”

Netanyahu replied by expressing hope that assessment “was no longer true,” adding that “there is something very important in your words.”

Relatives told reporters Sunday that Ettinger turned his car around after being shot and managed to fire four bullets in the direction of the Palestinian terrorist, causing him to flee the scene rather than target others. The IDF has been unable to corroborate the account, which was not picked up by security cameras at the scene.

Also Tuesday, Netanyahu visited the nearby ancient Shilo national site, along with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

“I am very excited to be here. I came here for the first time in 1967, right after the Six Day War, as a young soldier. I remember that during navigational exercises, I went to Tel Shilo to see ancient Shilo, the capital of Israel,” said Netanyahu.


A woman holds up a sign with ‘Too many terrorists in prison’ written on one side and ‘Kill them all’ written on the other during a rally in Tel Aviv on April 19, 2016 to support Elor Azaria. (Photo: Jack Guez/AFP)


Netanyahu Tells Ettingers Will Seek Death Penalty for Terrorists
By Hamodia Staff
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 2:12 pm | י"ב אדר ב' תשע"ט
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Ettinger family that he will seek the death penalty for terrorists, in a condolence visit on Tuesday.

Rabbi Achiad Ettinger Hy”d, a well-known educator and father of 12, was killed in a shooting attack on Sunday at the Ariel Junction in the Shomron.

During the visit, in the community of Eli, Netanyahu told the bereaved family:

“The shock is enormous. From what I have heard about Achiad, he was an amazing person, a man of valor with nobility of soul. The pain over your loss is immense; I understand how deep it is. But I want you to know that it is a shock to the heart of the entire people.”

Kim Levengrond Yehezkel and Ziv Hagbi's families and relatives [Photo: Zvika Tishler]


Efrat Ettinger, a daughter of Rabbi Achiad, told the prime minister that “it’s impossible that a terrorist commits such an act and comes out alive.”

While speaking about enactment of the death penalty, Netanyahu cautioned that this won’t happen “in a day,” Ynet reported.

She responded: “That’s what they say at every condolence call after an incident like this and it doesn’t happen. It’s just talk.”

Netanyahu’s response was not reported.

Ettinger’s mother, Carmit, told the PM she hopes the government will reinforce troop presence in Yehudah and Shomron, which she said has dwindled recently. “This is our country,” she says. “While traveling after recent events we haven’t felt safe. See what you can do to help those who live here.”

Benjamin Netanyahu against Hamas


The prime minister replied: “A few days ago, we destroyed the [Hamas] headquarters in Gaza to the ground. What we have here is something else.


 
Activists from Im Tirtzu hang signs across Jerusalem calling for the death penalty for terrorists in wake of murder of Ori Ansbacher.

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