Israel will not stop demolishing homes of accused terrorists to appease Washington, a minister said on Saturday, as the father of a terrorist victim expressed “surprise”. Recent American criticism Destroyed the house of his son’s killer.
“We are doing what is good for the state of Israel,” Joaz Hendel, communications minister for the New Hope party, told the Cannes public broadcaster.
US President Joe Biden’s administration drew rare criticism in Israel last week for the demolition of the home of a Palestinian-American suspected in a deadly attack in the West Bank in May, a flare of friction between Washington and Jerusalem’s resettlement efforts. Marks a potential point. relation
Following Israel’s punitive demolition of Muntasir Shalabi’s home on Thursday, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, had raised concerns over the matter with their Israeli counterparts.
“We make it a priority,” Price said, knowing that the action of one person shouldn’t have to demolish an entire family’s home.
Home demolition is a controversial punitive measure the Israeli security establishment puts in place that could prevent future terrorist attacks. The demolition came despite several legal challenges against the decision.
MK Yoaz Handel at the Arrangements Committee meeting in the Knesset on June 9, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
Shalabi is accused Israeli student Yehuda Guetta murdered And two others were injured by bullets.
“The new government’s policy is clear with respect to its treatment of violations of sovereignty and terrorism,” Hendel said on Sunday.
But he said the disagreement was not creating a rift between the countries.
“Sometimes we will disagree with the US administration, but on most issues, we will be on the same page,” he said. “What I am hearing is that the US administration wants to cooperate with the new government in Israel.”
Meanwhile, Guetta’s family rebuked the Biden administration over his statement, saying it would file lawsuits in Israel and the US, demanding that Schalabi’s assets be seized, including the land where his house stood. was.
“It will be an unprecedented process that will teach terrorists and their masters that there is no corner of the world where we will not reach them, and that terrorist victims will always be chasing them,” said Nitsana Darshan-Litner of Shurat Hadin’s family. Legal Aid Group representing
Yehuda Guetta, 19, was killed in a drive-by shooting in the West Bank (courtesy)
“Any terrorist should know that the price of killing a Jew is very high,” he said. “Even if they don’t care about their lives, we’ll control something more important to them.”
Geta’s father, Elisha, said the family was “shocked that America was condemning the demolition [the home of] My son’s killer and supporting a terrorist who came from America to carry out a vicious shooting terrorist attack against innocent Jewish students.
“It will be expected that America, which has often been a victim of terrorism, will stand with terrorist victims rather than their killers,” he said.
Muntasir Shalabi, the suspect in the May 2, 2021, West Bank drive-by shooting, in an undated photo (courtesy)
Explaining the trial, Elisha Guetta said: “The attitude of the Americans compels us to do everything possible to prevent the next murder. And if that is done by grabbing his land, we will do the same. “
A lawsuit will also be filed by the family of Benaya Peretz, who was seriously injured in the same attack.
The plaintiffs intend to gather information about Shalby’s assets in the US and the West Bank so that he can be included in the lawsuit. Shalabi and his family hold US citizenship.