Arguing that the jailing of terrorists breeds more and more terrorism, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told a security conference in Tel Aviv on Tuesday that his party's first order of business after a new government is formed will be to establish the death penalty for terrorists. Lieberman criticized Israeli prisoner exchanges and called for "show[ing] terrorists we're changing directions." He was also critical of last summer's Operation Protective Edge ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, suggesting it failed to fulfill its purpose. Calling for decisive conclusions to such operations, Lieberman said, "The fact we're heading to a military conflict against Hamas every two years doesn't allow Israel to make long-term plans, like a normal country, on policy and economic issues." Lieberman's "Israel is our Home" party ran on a joint list with Prime Minister Netanyahu's Likud Party in the last election, but on March 17 will go it alone, having lost significant strength because of corruption scandals. Whether or not to impose a death penalty has long been the subject of heated debate in Israel.
The head of a second right-wing party, Naftali Bennett of "The Jewish Home" party, stirred up a hornet's nest when he told the Associated Press that the Palestinians need to "lower their expectations" and drop calls for statehood.