Israel Passes Comprehensive Terrorism Bill

Israel’s new terrorism bill became law on Wednesday when parliament (Knesset) passed the second and third readings. The bill is distinguished by the setting forth of clear mechanisms and legal tools for fighting terrorism. Sentencing guidelines for a catalog of terror-related acts are set down, from carrying out an act of terror to arming or training the terrorist. Under the new law, a three-year jail term comes with a conviction for anyone who makes a public act of solidarity with a terrorist organization – solidarity defined as publishing praise, support or sympathy, waving a flag, displaying or playing posts with slogans or anthems. The law even includes a penalty for passive behavior: one who fails to prevent an act of terror will face a prison term of three years (a provision Americans are finding of interest relative to the case of the wife of the Orlando massacre shooter). Designating an organization “terrorist” will now fall to the defense minister in cases where the designation is approved by the head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency upon recommendation from the attorney general. The successful passage of the new law represents a rare moment of cooperation between disparate elements in Israeli politics. The bill was actually created under the aegis of former justice minister Tzipi Livni, a center-left politician from a previous government who, in effect, handed-off to Ayelet Shaked, the present justice minister, who is among the more right-wing element in the legislature. It received across-the-spectrum-support from all of the parties in the legislature with the exception of the most left-wing Meretz party and the Joint Arab List of parties comprised of Arab Israelis. The bill, which has been in the works for a full six years, is the first comprehensive overhaul of legal mechanisms to fight terror since the early days of the state, which was founded in 1948.