Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the security cabinet, during a meeting late Saturday night after the deadliest terrorist attack on Israelis in over a decade, approved a series of steps to “fight terror and demand a price from terrorists and their supporters.”
The top security cabinet met after a terrorist killed seven people and wounded three near a synagogue in Jerusalem’s Neve Ya’akov neighborhood on Friday night. In a second attack, a 13-year-old Palestinian shot and injured two people outside the capital’s old town on Saturday.
Netanyahu said in response to the attacks and subsequent celebrations in Palestinian cities, officials decided to take steps to “strengthen settlements” in the coming week, without giving further details.
The Security Cabinet also decided to cordon off the home of the terrorist who carried out Friday’s attack immediately before the home is destroyed.
Ministers decided to cut social security and other benefits for the families of terrorists who support their actions.
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Sunday’s full cabinet session will debate a law that would revoke the national ID numbers of family members of terrorists who support attacks.
Mourners attend the funeral of married couple Eli Mizrahi and his wife Natali, victims of a terrorist attack in Jerusalem, at a cemetery in Beit Shemesh early Sunday, January 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Ariel Shalit)
Netanyahu also said “thousands of civilians” will be granted permits to carry firearms by speeding up and expanding the licensing process.
Additional soldiers and police will be deployed, and security forces will launch a series of operations to gather intelligence, seize illegal firearms and make arrests, Netanyahu said.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a member of the Security Cabinet, said after the meeting that he would soon propose legislation that would put the death penalty on terrorists.
“I hope that it will come about with a large majority,” he said.
In his opening remarks at the security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu pledged a firm response to the attacks.
“Our response will be strong, quick and precise,” he said. “Whoever tries to hurt us – we will harm them and anyone who helps them.”
“We are not looking for escalation, but we are prepared for any scenario,” Netanyahu added.
Police at the scene of a terrorist attack in Jerusalem on January 28, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
He urged Israelis to abide by the law after the attacks. Police have previously said they are concerned about possible “price tag” attacks launched against Palestinians in revenge.
“I call again on the citizens of Israel: Don’t take the law into your hands. We are not in the days of [Jewish] Underground. We have a sovereign country with an excellent army, government and security forces,” Netanyahu said. “Let her do her job.”
The Security Cabinet meeting was also attended by Shas leader Aryeh Deri, who was disqualified from serving as a minister due to his multiple criminal convictions. He was able to join the Security Council cabinet after Netanyahu invited him to attend as an observer.
Before the meeting, Ben Gvir attacked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing her of not authorizing the security forces to seal the home of the Palestinian terrorist who shot Friday night. Baharav-Miari, who was scheduled to address the Security Cabinet on the issue, was quick to dismiss the claim.
Baharav-Miara has frequently been at odds with Netanyahu’s new government since being sworn in last month, particularly over her far-reaching plans to overhaul the judicial system and the appointment of Deri as minister.
Sealing off attackers’ homes is often a substitute for destroying them. The demolition process usually takes several months. The home must be mapped, the Supreme Court must reject family appeals, and security forces often wait for an optimal time to enter Palestinian cities for the operation.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir speaks to onlookers at the scene of a terrorist attack in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood of Jerusalem, January 27, 2023. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)
Earlier Saturday, Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant also called for sanctions on family members of terrorists during an assessment with senior military officials.
“I have directed the security establishment to step up defense efforts focused on the Jerusalem area and to step up deterrence and preventive measures against anyone involved or planning to harm civilians,” Gallant said in a statement.
“We will not allow a situation where a person receiving rights from the State of Israel murders Israeli citizens and remains a resident of the state,” he said.
With seven dead, the Jerusalem shooting was the deadliest terrorist attack since 2011, when terrorists entered Israel from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and killed eight Israelis. It was the deadliest Palestinian terrorist attack since 2008, when a gunman from East Jerusalem killed eight Israeli students at the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in the capital.
The attack was followed by another shooting in Jerusalem on Saturday morning, seriously injuring two Israelis. The attacker, a 13-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem, was shot and wounded before being taken into custody.
Security and rescue workers at the scene of a deadly terrorist attack in Neve Yaakov, Jerusalem, January 27, 2023. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
Also on Saturday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on a restaurant near Almog Junction near Jericho in the West Bank without causing injuries. A Palestinian man armed with a pistol was shot dead by a security guard near the northern West Bank settlement of Kedumim on Saturday night.
Friday’s deadly attack came after days of violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Tensions have increased dramatically since Thursday morning, when an Israeli Defense Forces raid on a terrorist cell in the West Bank killed nine Palestinians – most of them gunmen and members of the cell, although at least one civilian was also killed.
The IDF said Thursday’s operation in the Jenin refugee camp was necessary to thwart forthcoming attack plans by a local Islamic Jihad terrorist cell. According to the IDF, the group detonated explosives and firearms.
Hamas praised Friday’s attack in response to Thursday’s IDF operation, but no terrorist group claimed responsibility.
Rocket fire from Palestinian terrorist groups and Israeli retaliatory air strikes erupted in the Gaza Strip on Thursday night, although both sides appeared anxious to avoid escalating into a full-blown war.