Jewish Home members
Jewish Home membersFlash 90

A day after Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Perry (Yesh Atid) essentially shelved the law that would enforce life sentences for terrorist prisoners by filing an appeal against it, the Jewish Home has retaliated.

On Tuesday, ministers from the party filed appeals against four laws proposed by Yesh Atid and that had been approved on Sunday by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation.

Officials in the party said that this was “only the beginning. We will continue to fight the release of terrorists in any way, and we hope that Yesh Atid will pull the wanton appeal it filed against the law as soon as possible.”

The law that was passed by the Ministerial Committee would have amended one of the Basic Laws of Israel, which allows the President to pardon criminals. The amendment would have been such that any convicted terrorist will not be able to be pardoned for his crimes under certain conditions.

Perry, however, buried the law by appealing against it before it could be brought before the Cabinet for approval. Perry’s move was met with outrage by the Jewish Home, whose MK Ayelet Shaked  proposed the bill along with MK David Tzur (Hatnua).

Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett slammed Perry’s move, saying it was a “mark of disgrace” on the entire Yesh Atid party.

"Every day that this law is delayed human life is in danger,” Bennett said. “We will use all the tools at our disposal, including burying laws proposed by Yesh Atid, until this law is passed. I do not have, nor will I have, any tolerance and patience for political games at the expense of laws that are essential for the security of Israeli citizens.”

Yesh Atid did not remain silent in the face of the Jewish Home’s move and MK Yifat Kariv harshly criticized Housing Minister Uri Ariel for appealing a law she had proposed and which would have allowed women who were sexually abused to choose to have a female officer question them.

"Due to a game of petty politics, Housing Minister Uri Ariel just now filed an appeal in the name of the Jewish Home against my bill, approved by a ministerial committee last Sunday,” she said.

"This is a bill that the same party supported unanimously just two days ago and today decided to appeal it and hurt women, victims of sexual assault, because the old politics,” charged Kariv, who promised to fight to get her bill to pass.