Culture minister: Israel must not pay terrorists’ legal defense

Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev on Tuesday sent a letter to the Justice Ministry demanding that the state cease providing legal counsel for terrorists.

In the letter, printed on official Culture and Sports Ministry stationery, Regev demanded an end to “the surreal policy by which terrorists receive legal counseling and defense paid for by the tax money of the murdered victims.”

“The large majority of terrorists are residents of East Jerusalem who have a resident’s identity card, and some of them are [Israeli] citizens with a blue ID card,” Regev said.

The blue ID is held by citizens of Israel, regardless of ethnicity. A resident card, usually orange, gives its owner limited privileges, such as voting in municipal — but not national — elections.

“The government of Israel,” Regev continued, “has taken a series of important steps meant to cope with the recent wave of terror. Security and operational measures aside, some legal steps have been taken pertaining to the denial of resident status and welfare payments, home demolitions and others.”

מירי רגב דורשת להפסיק ייצוג משפטי על ידי הסניגוריה הציבורית למחבלים pic.twitter.com/br2VXDA0es

— Dana Somberg (@danasomberg) October 13, 2015

“Even as the government moves ahead with these steps, it is using public coffers to fund legal representation for the very same terrorists, and provides them with the finest defense attorneys and legal experts, including other specialists (psychiatrists, pathologists and so on),” Regev wrote.

“While I’m aware of the importance of legal representation in a democratic law-abiding state, terrorists should fund this from their own pocket and not from the money of the citizens of Israel whom they try to murder. This paradox must come to an end,” Regev wrote.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked told Regev in response that she would examine the issue and make a decision on the matter. According to Hebrew language paper Maariv, Shaked, a hawkish MK from the right-wing Jewish Home party, is leaning toward accepting Regev’s request.

Under Israeli law, public defense is a right of all citizens of the state. When it comes to defendants who are not citizens and have only residential status, the state can decide whether to try them in the military court system or the civil system, and whether to supply them with public defense.

Defendants tried in military court who only have residential status are also provided with public defense of sorts, albeit more limited.