Israeli Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev on Monday rejected a request by Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked to implement a court order to expel a Palestinian family from Jerusalem, citing tensions in the Palestinian territories.
He stressed he will wait until after Jewish holidays to decide whether to carry out the order.
In 2017, then Interior Minister Aryeh Deri revoked the residency status of seven members of the al-Qonbar family after their son, Fadi, a 28-year-old from East Jerusalem, rammed a truck into a group of Israeli soldiers in the Armon HaNetziv settlement, killing four troops and injuring 18 civilians. A Palestinian was also killed in the ensuing clashes.
The family rejected Israel’s collective punishment, saying it was unacceptable to penalize all of Fadi’s relatives for acts that they did not commit.
Still, an Israeli court approved the Interior Ministry’s decision, arguing that it would deter future attacks.
Two weeks ago, Shaked ordered the implementation of the order, requesting that Bar Lev prepare the police to expel the family by October 6.
Bar Lev replied that the police had asked him to wait before expelling the family.
Sources close to Bar Lev said Shaked’s requests are politically-motivated as Israel prepares to hold elections in November.
In return, Shaked accused Bar Lev of negligence and inaction, claiming that failure to expel the family encourages the Palestinians to carry out terrorist attacks.
