Defense Minister Shimon Peres said yesterday that he was opposed to capital punishment for terrorists and was proud that Israel is the only country in the Middle East where death penalties are not carried out. But Justice Minister Haim Zadok said he was not automatically against capital punishment provided it helped in the fight against terrorism and was not simply a spontaneous emotional response.
Peres, who made his remarks during a radio interview, rejected a proposal by Likud leader Menachem Beigin to establish special counter-terrorist squads to battle terrorists wherever they might be. Israel’s defense forces in their present organization are perfectly capable of handling terror. Peres said. The issue of the death penalty for terrorists arose during the Uganda hijack ordeal when some circles suggested that if terrorists convicted of capital crimes were executed, there would be less incentive for hijackers to hold hostages against the release of terrorists serving long sentences.
Zadok said in the Knesset yesterday that the Cabinet had discussed the issue two years ago and decided to refrain from carrying out death penalties. He noted, however, that the Cabinet did not intend to establish a precedent and was free to change its policy in the future.
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