Israel’s cabinet to strengthen settlements, strip terrorists’ families of citizenship

Following string of Arab terror attacks, including deadly Jerusalem synagogue shooting, Israel’s cabinet vows to strengthen settlements in Judea and Samaria, encourage private gun ownership.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s security cabinet announced late Saturday night a series of planned policy changes, following a wave of Arab terror attacks in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem.

At the end of the cabinet’s deliberation, the government press office released a statement detailing the six steps Israel’s government will pursue in response to the recent attacks.

The cabinet endorsed a proposal to encourage law-abiding Israeli citizens to purchase and carry firearms, easing the process for obtaining gun licenses.

The government will also take “steps to strengthen settlement,” with specific moves to be put forward this week.

The cabinet also vowed to step up efforts to halt the smuggling of illegal weapons, and to impose harsh sanctions on terror-supporting relatives of terrorists.

Below is a full list of the resolutions adopted by the security cabinet:

1. The home of the terrorist who carried out the terrorist attack in Jerusalem will be sealed immediately ahead of its demolition.

2. National insurance rights and additional benefits for the families of terrorists that support terrorism will be revoked.

3. Legislation on the revocation of Israeli identity cards of the families of terrorists that support terrorism will be discussed at tomorrow’s Government meeting.

4. Firearm licensing will be expedited and expanded in order to enable thousands of additional citizens to carry weapons.

5. In response to the abhorrent attacks and the celebrations in their wake, Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided on steps to strengthen settlement that will be submitted this week.

6. The reinforcement of military and police units, expanded arrests and focused operations to collect illegal weapons will be carried out.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the emergency cabinet meeting Saturday night, a day after a Jerusalem Arab terrorist shot and killed seven outside of a synagogue in the Neve Ya’akov neighborhood of Jerusalem Friday evening, leaving three more wounded.

A second terrorist shooting in the capital over the weekend left an Israeli father and son seriousl wounded south of the Old City of Jerusalem.