New law expands int’l ties for war on terror

Security cabinet can now declare someone a terrorist following recommendations from the UN or a foreign government.

By LAHAV HARKOV
A masked Hamas man holds a gun 370 (R) (photo credit: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / Reuters)
A masked Hamas man holds a gun 370 (R)
(photo credit: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / Reuters)
The security cabinet can declare an individual a terrorist following recommendations from the UN or a foreign government, according to a bill that passed its second and third (final) votes in the Knesset Monday evening.
The government-sponsored amendment to the law prohibiting funding terrorists passed with 25 MKs in favor and four opposed.
The new law allows the cabinet to declare a person or organization as a terrorist should the UN Security Council or a relevant office of a foreign government recommend they do so.
When the Security Council declares a person a terrorist, UN member countries are required to follow suit, but before Monday, Israeli law made doing so complicated.
Previously, the law allowed the cabinet to declare a person or organization a terrorist if there was reasonable evidence.
However, the Security Council does not always publicize its reasoning, preventing ministers from cooperating.
As such, Israel was unable to be a full partner in battling international terror.
According to the National Security Council’s legal adviser Gil Avriel, the UN gave Israel names of 360 terrorists, but only 250 could be declared as such by the cabinet.
“The bill is meant to increase international cooperation in preventing terror,” a Prime Minister’s Office representative said at a Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee discussion of the legislation.
“The bodies that examined the organizations are serious and trustworthy. It is unreasonable that we will not trust international security bodies.”