Two Israeli terrorists had their citizenship revoked and were expelled from the country for the first time in history, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday.
One terrorist, Mahmoud Ahmed, was charged with a string of shooting attacks against IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens in 2021. He was released from prison in 2024 and will be immediately deported.
The other terrorist, Muhammad Ahmed Hussein Helsi, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a stabbing attack in 2016 and is due to be released in 2034, when he will be deported.
“I didn’t give in or relax,” said coalition whip Ofir Katz when the terrorists’ deportation was announced. “For three years, I pressured the system to implement my law, and finally, it’s happening. This is how we fight terror.”
The bill to revoke Israeli citizenship or residency from convicted terrorists receiving stipends from the PA became law in 2023. The bill had received wide bipartisan support during the legislative process, with some opposition from Arab parties.
The law reasons that compensation from the PA to a terrorist creates an authoritative relationship between the two, thereby allowing such terrorists to be stripped of citizenship and deported to PA territories in the West Bank or Gaza Strip.
Michael Starr contributed to this report.