A new law that would prevent some murderers from being released in diplomatic negotiations passed in the Knesset Monday.
The legislation proposed by MKs Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi) and David Tzur (Hatnua) adds another level of punishment beyond life in prison that judges can choose in rulings on especially harsh murder cases, like terrorist attacks or murder of children.
In such a case, the murderer will never be able to be be released as part of diplomatic negotiations and cannot be let out on parole until at least 40 years.
The law does not apply to current prisoners; rather, it can be used in future court rulings.
Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said the law "brings back sanity and morality to Israeli policy about releasing terrorists, after years of losing the moral path."
"Terrorists should die in prison and that is how it will be," he said.
According to Bennett, the law "sends a message to [Palestinian] society that praises murderers and names public squares against them that the policy of releasing murderers that was acceptable until now is over, and whoever will harm citizens of Israel will spend the rest of his or her life behind bars."
Tzur said that the law sends a clear message and does justice for families of the victims, saying that when a whole family is murdered, it should not be connected to diplomatic negotiations.
"This law is forward-looking. It does not tie the government's hands [in negotiating terrorist releases] when it comes to security prisoners who are currently in jail," he added.
"This is the time to prove to citizens that their personal security and lives are no less important than any other value," Shaked said after the bill passed. "From today, judges will be able to rule that whoever committed a cruel murder, whether it is criminally or nationalistically motivated, will spend the rest of his or her life behind bars."
Now, Shaked added, it is judges' responsibility to "do the just thing and increase citizens' sense of security."
Shaked called for the prosecutors to demand the new punishment for Hussein Yussuf Hasin Halifa, who is suspected of murdering 19-year-old Shelly Dadon in May.
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) say Halifa, a taxi driver from Ibillin in the Galilee, picked up Dadon on the way to a job interview, took her to a deserted parking lot and stabbed her to death. Then, he washed his taxi in a failed attempt to get rid of evidence and left her wallet in the Arab village Beit Zarzir, where it was found by locals.
Dadon's father, Ya'acov Dadon, said that "since there is no death penalty, I support that he spend life in prison. MK Ayelet Shaked's law will help some murders be recognized as especially cruel, so that murderers like the one who killed my daughter, may her memory be blessed, will not be able to be freed from prison."