The Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee will on Sunday begin deliberations on a law that would limit the ability to hold Jewish terrorists in administrative detention, against recommendations of the security agencies.
The legislation is being proposed by the committee chair, Simcha Rothman, from the far-right Religious Zionist Party. It was formulated after right-wing organizations claimed that the number of extreme right-wing suspects in administrative detention has doubled in the past two years.
If passed, the law would prevent the Shin Bet from imposing such action unless it can prove a suspected terrorist is a member of a terror organization that is recognized as such by the Knesset. Rothman wrote in his proposition that the new law would protect the freedom of Israeli citizens.
The Shin Bet strongly opposes the proposed legislation claiming administrative detention is necessary often in cases where sources must be protected and to prevent violent confrontations on the West Bank. The security agency said such clashes create more violence and increase incidents of terror.
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Shin Bet also said that the experience gained over many years has shown that Jewish terrorists have often acted alone and were not members of a terror group and that the use of administrative detention was rare and approved by senior leadership and by the defense minister.