Lawmakers: Demolish terrorist's home

Familiar calls ring out after deadly attack by Palestinian from village next to Bethlehem.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
gilo attack terrorist jerusalem 224 88 (photo credit: AP)
gilo attack terrorist jerusalem 224 88
(photo credit: AP)
After Thursday's terror attack in Jerusalem in which 86-year-old Avraham Ozeri was killed, familiar calls rang out from lawmakers to demolish the home of the attacker, 21-year-old Mohammad Elmadan, from Arab Tekoa, south of Bethlehem. MK Yitzhak Aharonovich (Israel Beiteinu) said that the series of recent terror attacks was "the result of an erosion of Israel deterrence." Aharonovich, the former deputy Israel Police chief, added that "the time has come for Defense Minister Ehud Barak to act decisively against Palestinian terror and immediately order the demolition of the terrorist's home." MK Yohanan Plesner (Kadima) expressed similar sentiments. "The terrorist's home must be demolished, and we must put an end to the bureaucratic foot-dragging that we witness after every terror attack and which hinders our ability to create an effective deterrence to future terrorists." MK Zevulun Orlev (NRP/NU) said the policy of restraint had brought about a string of terror attacks in Jerusalem. "The government must regain its composure and set a clear price - the destruction of the terrorist's home," he said. Orlev's colleague, Uri Ariel, said that the attack was the "direct result of the government's hesitancy." In contrast, MK Dov Henin (Hadash) expressed his opposition to such house demolitions. "I am opposed to the destruction of the family home. It is collective punishment and is contrary to the International Court's directives. Furthermore, IDF investigations have shown that home demolitions don't serve as a deterrence, but only create more anger and frustration that can result in more extreme, terrible acts," he said. MK Ran Cohen (Meretz) also said he opposed destroying the terrorist's home. "I am against demolishing the terrorist's home, since it has been proven that house demolitions don't prevent terror and, in my opinion, only foster more hatred," he said.