Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 1/18 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 1.-15. Januar Die Themen dieser Ausgabe 1. Todesstrafe für Terroristen ............................................................................................................................... 1 2. Yair Netanyahu im Striptease-Club .................................................................................................................. 3 3. Angespannte Sicherheitslage .......................................................................................................................... 5 4. Medienquerschnitt ............................................................................................................................................ 6 1. Todesstrafe für Terroristen the other hand, while the death penalty might not be Mit knapper Mehrheit bestätigte die Knesset in einer a deterrent, it does eliminate the possibility that one Vorabstimmung einen Gesetzentwurf, der die Ver- of these despicable human beings will be set free to hängung der Todesstrafe für Terroristen erleichtern murder again in a prisoner swap. (…) (…) 70% of Is- soll. Danach sollen künftig Militärgerichte die Todes- raeli Jews “strongly” or “moderately” support the strafe für Mord verhängen dürfen, wenn mindestens death penalty. (…) The murderers of the Fogel family zwei von drei Richtern dafür stimmen. Bisher ist dies in Itamar and of the Salomon family in Halamish do nur bei Einstimmigkeit möglich. Außerdem soll die not deserve to live. But revenge should not be the Möglichkeit ausgeschlossen werden, die Todesstrafe sole consideration, nor for that matter should narrow später in lebenslange Haft umzuwandeln. Ziel der political interests. (…) von allen sechs Koalitionsparteien unterstützten Ge- Editorial, JPO, 04.01.18 setzesinitiative soll, wie Verteidigungsminister Avig- dor Lieberman erklärte, die Abschreckung sein. Die Current punishment is not a deterrent EU verurteilte die Abstimmung der Parlamenta- (…). Among families who have lost loved ones to ter- rier_innen. Die Todesstrafe sei mit der Menschen- rorism, especially those who were the victims of ter- würde nicht vereinbar, hieß es in einer Mitteilung. Is- rorists who perpetrated attacks after being freed in rael hat bisher nur in einem Fall die Todesstrafe an- prisoner exchange deals like the one for Gilad Schalit gewandt: 1962 wurde der deutsche NS-Verbrecher (…) there is an understanding that the existing pun- Adolf Eichmann gehängt. ishments, such as demolishing terrorists' homes or stopping stipends to the terrorists and their families, Death Penalty Politics are insufficient (…). We aren't naïve. We've seen how (…) legislation that seeks to introduce broader use of politicians arrive to comfort families at the shiva and capital punishment should not be passed due to po- make speeches about "the death sentence," but im- litical pressures. A thorough discussion of the issue mediately afterward disappear and blame the attor- that takes into consideration a wide range of issues ney general or the chief military prosecutor for not de- must be conducted before the Jewish state starts is- manding it in court. This bill passing, if only as yet in suing death sentences to terrorists. (…) Even if they a preliminary reading and with more discussion and do not blow themselves up, nearly all terrorists are battles over it in various committees to come, is a essentially suicide attackers. (…) carrying out death clear declaration that this tool exists and we intend to sentences would only embolden the extremists. On 1 use it. (…) We will continue to fight until the govern- court to impose the death penalty. (…) the state has ment starts using the death penalty against terrorists! the right to take human life in order to fulfill its duty to Hadas Mizrahi, IHY, 04.01.18 protect its citizens from outside and domestic ene- mies. (…) The judicial system functions in a com- Kill the death penalty bill pletely different arena. (…) The court examines the (…) This bill (…) has now fulfilled its political mission evidence presented before it under sterile conditions. and done its duty by those chanting “death to terror- (…) The judicial system should not be granted unlim- ists,” (…). The death penalty is nothing but cold- ited power. It is wrong to allow a flesh-and-blood blooded murder carried out by civilian society, and is judge to issue a final verdict that cannot be reversed. therefore morally invalid. In addition, such a law is su- This is the meaning of the sanctity of life: wherever perfluous and dangerous. (…) Israel has a wealth of we can, we make it clear to ourselves in society that means to deter, punish and even take revenge we do not grant the state, the court, the right to take against terrorists who carry out their murderous the life of a person, even one whose terrible deeds deeds in the name of national or religious ideology. violated this sanctity. (…) Jewish tradition (…) not Executing them would only elevate their status and only strongly opposed the execution of criminals by turn them into martyrs and role models. (…) there is the halakhic judicial system, but also sought to facili- also the dubious legal argument that Israeli law al- tate parallel justice systems (…) and to commute the ready permits the death penalty when the judges rule punishments of those whose guilt was determined on unanimously in its favor. However, anyone who takes the basis of questionable evidence. (…) The concern this tack is still condoning the death penalty in princi- is that the death penalty initially imposed on terrorists, ple, which is a slippery slope toward legislation eas- on murderers, would later be imposed on the abomi- ing the way to this punishment, which is the goal of nations of rapists, accessories to murder, and others. the bill’s sponsors. The gallows will not win the war We would risk executions becoming routine, human on terror, but only increase the damage to Israel’s life turning cheap, and Israel would degenerate into a moral strength. The biggest threat to terror is a diplo- moral low. (…) As Jews who uphold a tradition that matic alternative, which is seen by Israel’s govern- sanctifies human life and rejects violence and cruelty ment as a greater threat than terror itself. against any person in principle, we must oppose the Editorial, HAA, 05.01.18 fact that in the Jewish nation-state, the court can sen- tence a person to death (…). Death penalty bill: The end justifies the means Naftali Rothenberg, TOI, 05.01.18 (…) after personally experiencing terror, I think and believe the death penalty is the proper response to a The death penalty's appeal terrorist who took someone's life. A man who got up There is something bizarre about using capital pun- in the morning and turned into a murderer won't go ishment as means of generating deterrence opposite back to being a human being. I am here in the name individuals who glorify death. (…) for many terrorists, of the people and families who don’t know they're death is a sublime aspiration. (…) Capital punishment about to join the bereavement family. The quest for a cannot be used to deter those who aspire to die and death penalty isn't driven by revenge, but by the need it has little preventative value. (…) Israel will not be- to prevent the next murder. After all, no punishment come a slaughterhouse in which thousands of prison- will return our loved ones. (…) We must do everything ers are executed. Even if we impose the death pen- in our power to restore deterrence. In addition to the alty only in exceptional cases of mass murderers, we death penalty bill (…) it's time to completely destroy are still left with dozens of candidates compared to terrorists' homes and revoke their citizenship. Every thousands of prisoners. (…) 10 high-profile cases a means of deterrence preserves the sanctity of life. By year may spell the death sentence for terrorists, but harming our means of deterrence, we are forfeiting they also spell collective diplomatic suicide for Israel. human life. (…) The Israeli public knows that imposing punitive Michal Salomon, YED, 05.01.18 measures that include the expulsion of terrorists' fam- ilies or the demolition of terrorists' homes would be Death penalty contradicts Judaism immediately translated into sparing lives. But the (…) Let us leave aside for a moment the debate over same legal elite, which presents itself as a warm and whether the death penalty functions as a successful cohesive family is, in fact, disconnected from the pub- deterrent (…). The fundamental question is whether lic and as a result, it passes hollow, condescending in Israel, the Jewish nation-state, we must allow the 2 legislation that has little to do with reality or the pub- What Yair Netanyahu learned at home about lic's wishes. (…) women Galit Distel Etebaryan, IHY, 08.01.18 (…) In the 11 years he’s been in office as prime min- ister he hasn’t lifted a finger to promote the struggle Do not kill in my son’s name against violence towards women and has not even (…) Why have we lost all understanding of human na- once voiced a clear moral stand against the culture of ture? What makes us think that by enforcing the rape that is threatening to engulf Israeli society (…). death penalty we will prevent crime? (…) death pen- We didn’t hear one word from Netanyahu about for- alty has never been a deterrent to further murder and mer President Moshe Katsav’s case or the investiga- crime. In fact in our case it may encourage copycat tion into the conduct of former