Bennett
BennettFlash 90

Former Deputy Chief of the Shin Bet Yitzhak Ilan criticized the decision of Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, who ordered the defense establishment to stop returning bodies of terrorists to the Palestinian Authority.

"If I examine this issue by experience, such a step has never helped. Failure to return the bodies is like cupping the dead. It doesn't help and may even cause harm, I have to say that I believe this is a populist decision. He thinks that if he were in Hamas' place he'd be affected by this decision. That is why he thinks such a move will affect Hamas people as well. It is simply wrong that we should not fall to the level of terrorist organizations," Ilan said in an interview with 103 FM Radio.

Ilan suggested another step, which he believes would put more pressure on Hamas: "A break in visits is much more effective if the people of the Red Cross are banned from visiting our prisoners. We should also ban them from visiting their prisoners. I would not stoop to the level of not returning bodies; it never helped."