By Benny Toker and Elad Benari, INN
Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud Beytenu) on Tuesday said it was time to “change the rules of the game” following themurder of the three Israeli teenagers by Hamas terrorists.
Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Hotovely said that increased construction in Judea and Samaria and targeted killings of terrorists were no longer sufficient as responses, adding that it was time to impose a death penaltyon terrorists.
“This is the first incident to come out of Judea and Samaria after the Hamas and Fatah unity. It cost the lives of three innocent boys who wanted to return home safely. The government must now think about a long-term strategic move that will restore the deterrence,” she said.
Hotovely said the government should annex all the areas with a Jewish majority in Judea and Samaria and apply the death penalty for terrorists, “not only for Nazis, even for terrorists who return to terrorism [after being released], they should know that they will face death.”
“It’s time to change the rules of the game and annex all the Jewish communities,” she added.
On Tuesday evening, the Security Cabinet met in Tel Aviv to discuss what response Israel is to take in response to the murder of the three youths. This topic already raised serious debate in a similar meeting on Monday night, in which leftist ministers opposed expanding Israel’s operations.
Speaking before Tuesday evening’s meeting, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, “We have three tasks: First, to reach the murderers and all those who participated in the kidnapping. Whoever was involved in the kidnapping and the murder will bear the consequences. We will neither rest nor slacken until we reach the last of them and it does not matter where they will try to hide. We will reach them all even if it takes time. This is our first goal and it will be carried out.
“Second, we must vigorously strike at Hamas members and infrastructures in Judea and Samaria. We have already arrested hundreds of Hamas activists. We have closed dozens of institutions. We have demolished homes. We are still active.
“Third, is that we must act against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is continuing to encourage the abduction of our citizens and it is directly responsible for firing rockets and mortars at our territory, including in the past few hours. The IDF has been active in recent days against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and here as well we are still active. If need be, we will expand the campaign.
“Anyone who thinks that they can achieve anything by using terrorism against us will continue to be mistaken and will achieve the opposite results.
Hamas is responsible. Hamas will pay and Hamas will continue to pay. We are acting with determination, sagacity and responsibility with the top consideration – of myself, the Defense Minister and the Chief-of-Staff – being to ensure the security of Israel’s citizens,” Netanyahu stressed.
@ honeybee:
I on the other hand, have NO such agreement, so I am free to tell you, without reservation, that what you thought you were looking at was actually his FORESKIN (and you though he was ‘Jewish’!) — I saw it when he propositioned me.
Had to turn him down though (gently of course; their psyches are so fragile & they bruise so easily); he just wasn’t my type — you know how it is.
Now, if he’d shave his legs, armpits & butt; put on fishnet stockings & a bustier; and learn howta use mascara & pancake
— well, then, who knows. . . ?
dweller Said:
Do to a privacy agreement I signed I am legally not allowed to divulge that precise information without written consents by the party involved.
@ honeybee:
You speak as a witness to that?
— or merely as a meddler seeking to provide support to one who needs it?
Which is it?
dweller Said:
Iisn’t that the point of the death penalty. sparing the innocent of their [ quilty ] of their depravations, Sweetie
dweller Said:
At lest he [ Yamit82 ] has one !!!!!!!!!!
@ yamit82:
Stay on point, dickhead.
What I’ve said is neither stupid nor bravado — NOR does it come from a coward of any kind.
— What it IS is common sense.
Hogwash. Deterrence is not just the one or just the other — it’s BOTH.
Having a policy of not taking prisoners doesn’t mean that you never take prisoners.
Rather, it means that somebody caught in a terrorist act has no assurance of getting out of it alive; that he cannot count on that. That way, regional & local commanders have discretion to take prisoners if they have reason to believe that certain individuals or groups taken in the act may have reliable intel.
Beyond the obvious civil liberties issues — which will (given the present trends) eventually come under scrutiny — that practice (as a general policy) just guarantees that these detainees will be available for prisoner swaps. And you know how well THAT’s been turning out.
For some, that is no doubt the case — at least, until they observe, up close, the death agonies of their wounded comrades on the way to ‘martyrdom.’
But I seriously doubt that the numbers of such are anywhere near as high as assumed. What’s more, these guys are moved not by courage, but by ZEAL — which (unlike courage) is fueled by emotion, not by character. And that is highly significant:
— Zeal is not consistent; it’s subject to manipulation & exploitation — and it can fade or be replaced by successor emotions in the face of circumstances, or at the hands of a skilled operative, coach, or “control.”
In any case, each DEAD terrorist means that many fewer LIVING terrorists.
Frankly, given the present state of affairs (& recent events, in particular), it seems to me that it couldn’t hurt to TRY OUT the “no prisoners” policy for a year or two, and see how it works out. . . .
NormanF Said:
When the guilty go free the innocent suffer. Another “Dicha of Deborah”.
dweller Said:
Stupid bravado from cowards who would crap in their pants from an auto backfire. Israeli deterence is not in killing terrorists but stopping them before they can actuate their aims. For that you need great superior Intel. Most of our intel gathered by Shabak is from those same prisoners rounded up and held, many without trial (Mandatory Laws) for years.
Killing them is no deterrence for those already prepared and even wanting a martyrs death. Putting the word out that they are (stinkers employed by Israeli Intel) would do the job as other Palis gladly off their traitorous brothers and sisters. Sometimes the ploy backfires and they are blackmailed by the Palis terrorists to become suicide bombers. Many of the prisoners once released become our quislings who continue to supply valuable Intel…
Good reliable intel is our ultimate deterrence not offing them out of hand.
@ BethesdaDog:
None of that would be an issue if the policy were to not take prisoners (from among those caught in the act). . . .
I’ve never really understood the policy against the death penalty. All it does is warehouse terrorists for future release under blackmail, just to be greeted as heroes or to come back and commit more brutal murders. I used to hear that it was because Israel did not want them to become martyrs. What difference does it make if they become martyrs? If they are released under duress, pressure and blackmail, they become heroes, so what’s the difference? Maybe those in charge did not want to look bad in front of the “enlightened” Europeans who have eschewed the death penalty. At this point, with the animosity from Europe anyway, who cares?
The death penalty must be applied to kidnapping and murder.
Jews must not be squeamish about killing those who kill their people.
Self preservation is a law of nature.
Just prattling, posturing they have no intentions to kill their golden egg goose.
People elected tribunals must take that role and if the Islamic beasts are found guilty, order their execution.