Neeman calls for tougher terms for violence

State attorney also wants Knesset to ground punishments in law, urges gov't to change national priorities.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
moshe lador 248 88 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
moshe lador 248 88
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Justice Minister Yaacov Neeman on Sunday said that he is considering toughening the terms of inmates imprisoned for violence crimes. "It is foreseeable that a person who is imprisoned for violence crimes will not have his term reduced by a third or be pardoned," he said. In a joint interview with Army Radio and Israel Radio, on a special day of broadcasts dedicated to battling violence, Neeman called the recent wave of murders an "emergency situation," and said that he asked judges to severely penalize those convicted of violent crimes. Dealing with violence should be the government and law enforcement establishment's first priority, the justice minister added. Earlier on Sunday, State Attorney Moshe Lador proposed that the Knesset legislate minimum sentencing requirements for violent crimes, which would serve as a starting point for the courts when sentencing criminals. Speaking with Army Radio and Israel Radio as part of the special day of broadcasts on violence, Lador called on the government to change the national priorities and to designate resources in order to improve the Israeli public's perception of personal safety and reduce crime. "In my opinion, if the minimum sentencing requirements lead to more reasonable sentences, instead of the light punishments given today, we will see an improvement," he said. According to Lador, "Punishment should be made harsher for some crimes, while punishment for other crimes is adequate, so it would be better if lawmakers determined minimum sentencing requirements for each kind of crime." He added that efforts were underway "to streamline and simplify legal procedures, which are currently so long and laborious they lead to the release of dangerous defendants." Lador maintained that "relatively speaking, Israel is a very safe country, and people feel safe in most places during most of the day."