(JTA) — Israel plans to permit tougher interrogations of suspected Jewish terrorists using methods once reserved for Palestinians.
Interior Security Minister Gilad Erdan announced Monday in an interview with Israel Radio that the security Cabinet, which on Sunday approved administrative detention for Jewish terror suspects, had also deemed “any method” of interrogation “kosher” for such suspects, Reuters reported.
“An interrogation method like ’tiltul,’ or anything that is done when it comes to Palestinian terrorists — the same thing should be done when it comes to a Jewish terrorist,” Erdan said, referring to the Hebrew term for violently shaking a suspect, a method used against Palestinian suspects until Israel’s Supreme Court restricted it in 1999, according to Reuters.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, a lawyer who has represented far-right Israelis accused of political violence, told Reuters that Erdan’s remarks were scandalous and that he might challenge the new policies in the Supreme Court.
“The government is acting like an elephant in a china shop,” Ben-Gvir said. “After they’ve spared arch-terrorists this method, they want to try it out against Jewish youths.”
Erdan also said that the government is considering requiring Jewish terrorism suspects to wear electronic ankle bracelets to track their movements.
