Olmert, Barak: Demolish terrorists' homes
Prime minister, defense minister call to reverse 2005 decision to suspend policy of razing homes of terrorists after attacks as means of deterrence
After the shooting rampage at Mercaz Harav seminary in March left eight students dead, Defense Minister Ehud Barak called for the demolition of the terrorist's home in east Jerusalem. It was never carried out.
Following Wednesday's deadly terror attack in Jerusalem which left three Israelis dead and dozens more wounded, Barak reiterated his position.
In a letter released by his military secretary, Brig. Gen. Eitan Dangut, Barak wrote that the defense establishment and government must not fail to respond to a situation wherein a terrorist bearing an Israeli ID carries out a nationalistically- motivated attack in the heart of Israel.
Earlier in the day Prime Minster Ehud Olmert issued a similar call to raze the home of 31-year-old Hossam Dawyyat, the Palestinian bulldozer driver who carrie out the attack.
The prime minister also maintained that the social security benefits of the terrorist's family should be annulled.
Olmert left the plenum immediately after receiving word of the attack and was updated on the developments by Shin Bet and police officials. He later spoke with Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
A few hours prior to the Jerusalem attack two bills calling for the families of people carrying out terror attacks to be deprived of various social rights passed their preliminary Knesset readings.
The first bill called for the Interior Ministry to be able to rescind their permanent residency status; and the second bill calls for allowing the government to revoke the citizenship of anyone convicted of terror activities.
Knesset Member Esterina Tattman (Yisrael Beiteinu) said, "If the terrorist who carried out the attack in Jerusalem really is a resident of east Jerusalem, who enjoyed State funds, we must demolish his house and deport his family to Gaza."
