The Mossad expressed support in principle on Monday for the bill to impose the death penalty for terrorists.
The remarks were made during a closed Knesset National Security Committee session led by MK Tzvika Foghel.
During the session, which focused on the bill, a Mossad representative noted that "in an aggregate of all considerations and a broad perspective, we support the bill in principle."
This said, the representative stressed that the power to rule on each individual case be left to the court, saying, "We ask that the court maintain the discretion to deviate from the penalty."
During a session of the committee last week, a member of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) revealed that his organization officially supports the death penalty for terrorists.
During the discussion, the Shin Bet representative presented the organization’s shift in approach to the issue of capital punishment, explaining that it is a necessary deterrent measure that should remain within the system’s discretion.
According to the Shin Bet representative, the agency assesses that the death penalty has a significant deterrent effect. He explained: “The reason the position has changed and today we do support it is that in the past we feared a reaction from Hamas involving the hostages, and that concern has changed, as has the concern over reactions by terrorists in prisons."
He concluded by noting that “in this field, a dramatic change has taken place over the past two years, and there is full deterrence and control."