State Prosecutor: It's forbidden to lynch a neutralized terrorist
Shai Nitzan tells high school students that it is forbidden to resort to violence against a handcuffed terrorist: 'you are not Van Damme.'
State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan warned high schools students on Monday against lynching a neutralized terrorist, arguing that "you are not Van Damme."
Speaking to the students during an online lecture on human rights, Nitzan stressed the importance of leaders making it clear to the public that they must not take the law into their own hands and attack a neutralized terrorist, warning that "whoever act violently against a terrorist who no longer presents a danger will be prosecuted."
Nitzan said that education classes must be held in each school to explain to young people what is allowed and what is forbidden during terrorist attacks in order for Israel to maintain its humanity.
"Once the terrorist is neutralized, there should not be violence done to them by a citizen. If he is handcuffed it is forbidden to beat him up. It is forbidden to hit. You are not Van Damme. You're not the police, not judges, not God."
Nitzan quoted the Talmud which states that "If someone comes to kill you, get up early to kill him first," but called to exercise discretion.
"If a policeman sees someone trying to stab another person, it is clear that it his obligation to remove the danger and if the only way is to shoot the stabber, this is his duty as a cop. One must not shoot him in the center of the body in order to kill him. If he is too close, then you can fire at the center of the body only if it is essential to remove the danger," he said.
However, the state prosecutor made it clear that if anyone misjudges the danger and the error is genuine and reasonable, he will be protected before the law.
"One is permitted to use violence during a terrorist attack only when required. Whoever resorts to violence, even against a terrorist, will be prosecuted because we live in a state of law," he explained.
Nitzan's lecture also addressed the issue of the demolition of terrorists' houses and said that it was "a very extreme step that Israel tries to avoid due to the fact that innocent people are hurt."
However, Nitzan said that security officials presented evidence before the High Court that showed that house demolitions is an effective deterrent for some of those who are planning attacks.
Nitzan also called on young people to refrain from incitement on the internet. According to him, it is possible to express any opinion, but not incitement to racism and violence.
"It's evil and accomplishes nothing but release stress and frustration. The Jewish people endured two thousand years of racism and know that it can lead to bad acts. We can not go down that road because it is immoral and contradicts the heritage of Judaism and Islam," he asserted.
