Israel Revokes Citizenship of Four Convicted Terrorists

Jerusalem (TPS) – Interior Minister Aryeh Deri officially revoked the citizenship of four terrorists from eastern Jerusalem on Thursday, January 21 for having carried out fatal attacks in the neighborhood of Armon Hanatziv in Jerusalem at the end of 2015.

“It cannot be that a murderer of Israelis who strikes at the security of the state can continue to enjoy the rights granted by the state. From now on, the attackers will know that there will be consequences beyond prison sentences to acts of terrorism,” Deri said in defense of his decision.

The first attack, perpetrated by Al Walid Fares Atrash, Muhammad Salah Abu Kef and Abed Dwiyet, occurred on September 13 on the first night of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashana). The three pelted rocks at travelling vehicles in Jerusalem in “retaliatory” attacks for tensions on the Temple Mount.

The three threw rocks at a vehicle travelling in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Armon Hanatziv that resulted in a car crash that killed the driver, 64-year-old Alexander Levlovich. Another victim also sustained serious wounds in the attack.

Exactly four weeks later, in October 2015, Bilal Abu Ghanem and an accomplice entered the 78 bus line in the same neighbourhood and began shooting and stabbing passengers. Richard Lakin, 76, an American who moved to Israel with his wife and children 33 years ago, was among the three killed and dozens wounded.

Abu Ghanem’s accomplice was shot and killed at the scene by Israeli security forces.

All four terrorists held permanent residency status and carried the Israeli identity card mandatory for all Israeli citizens. Deri said that while the decision to strip the terrorists of their Israeli citizenship marked an exceptional case, the severity of the crimes justified his decision.

“During these attacks, the assailants exploited the freedom of movement in Israel that comes from the fact that they are permanent residents and that they are bearers of an Israeli ID card.”

He further added that the rights granted by the state to permanent residents are conditional upon the fulfilment of basic obligations.

“The state of permanent residence includes basic loyalty and obligations. Residents and, obviously, permanent residents do not merely receive rights without obligations. This applies to those who hold such status and wish to continue t0o,” he said.

The interior minister made the decision to revoke the terrorists’ citizenship in accordance with an Israeli law that was ratified in 1952, which states: “The Minister of the Interior may at his discretion (1) cancel any visa granted under this Law, either before or on the arrival of the visa holder in Israel; (2) cancel any permit of residence granted under this Law.”