Meir Indor, chairman of the Almagor Terror Victims Association, on Monday commented on the arrest of Zakaria Zubeidi, who was responsible for many terrorist attacks in the past and is now again suspected of involvement in acts of terrorism.
"This arch-murderer has not been punished for past acts of murder and has become a darling of the media, while exploiting this to carry out acts of terror. The time has come to apply the death penalty set forth in the military law," Indor told Arutz Sheva.
"A lot of blood of Jewish and innocent people is on his hands - as a result of the agreement and sponsorship that the Palestinian Authority gave him and made him a senior employee. The legal and security echelon must do some soul searching themselves. Instead of hanging him, they gave him free movement and free access to the media. Zubeidi should receive the death penalty as it is in the United States. He has responsibility as the head of a terrorist organization," he continued.
"We must always remember that a terrorist remains a terrorist. The fact that he is free, even if he did not do anything, encourages others who see that there is no proper punishment for terrorists," concluded Indor.
Earlier on Monday, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said that Zubeidi had been arrested in Ramallah in connection with what was described as “serious and current terrorist activities” and accused of involvement in a series of shooting attacks near the Israeli town of Beit El.
Zubeidi, who once was on Israel’s most-wanted list over his leadership of the Jenin region’s Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, accepted a 2007 Israeli offer of amnesty in exchange for renouncing terrorism. Zubeidi accepted the deal, which was revoked in December 2011.
Zubeidi made headlines in 2004, when a female Israeli admirer, Tali Fahima, traveled to Jenin to serve as a human shield for him. Fahima, who was later jailed for her aid to the terrorist leader, converted to Islam in 2010.