Israel revokes social benefits for terrorists and their families

Until now, terrorists and their families could receive a long list of funds, including unemployment and disability insurance, study grants and child benefits.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The Knesset passed on Monday the final reading of the law to revoke National Insurance benefits to Arab-Israeli terrorists.

Until now, convicted terrorists who were either citizens or residents of Israel could receive a long list of benefits from the government that included unemployment and disability insurance, nursing care, maternity and child allowances, study grants and pensions.

A wife could also be eligible for income support throughout her husband’s imprisonment, even though he had been involved in committing a terror attack.

These disbursements could add up to thousands of shekels per month for terrorists and their families.

The bill stipulates the complete denial of all benefits to those who have been convicted of murder, attempted murder, and other serious terrorist offenses. These include active membership in a terrorist organization, possession of, or trade in weapons and their accessories, and espionage or contact with an enemy.

Wives of such criminals will also be ineligible to receive any governmental support while the perpetrator was in prison. Those detained on suspicion of terrorist activity will have their benefits withheld.

Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz (Likud), who ushered the bill through the Knesset, expressed satisfaction with its passage.

“The situation where a terrorist who murdered a Jew would receive money from the State of Israel is delusional and incomprehensible,” he said. “We have put an end to the madness. My important bill passed, and a terrorist will not see a single shekel from the State of Israel.”

While preparing the bill, MK Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beiteinu), one of the co-authors, presented intelligence agency data that there were 33 pension beneficiaries accused of terrorist offenses detained in Israel. “You can’t try to kill us and continue to receive a pension at the expense of Israeli citizens,” Malinovsky pointed out.

The person being denied benefits can appeal the National Insurance revocation in court. The bill is an amendment of an existing law that significantly reduced the provision of benefits to terrorists 12 years ago.

According to a report by the Israeli Kan broadcaster in 2022, the previous law already stated that children or widows of terrorists killed in a terrorist attack are not entitled to survivors’ benefits or state pensions, and terrorists injured in attacks they committed would not receive disability allowances.