A right-wing Israeli lawmaker drew fire for suggesting Ehud Olmert should be executed if he cedes the
Golan Heights to Syria.
“Anyone who has committed an act which could cause the country’s territory to be ceded is liable to
imprisonment or the death sentence,” Arye Eldad of the National Union bloc said Monday, after it was announced that Israel and Syria had relaunched peace talks.
Damascus has said it received an understanding from Olmert to return the Golan Heights to Syria if an accord is signed, something denied by the Israeli prime minister.
Eldad’s remarks recalled for many Israelis the rhetoric against former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin before his 1995 assassination by an extremist opposed to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
President Shimon Peres was among the politicians who condemned Eldad for his “incitement,” but the lawmaker was unbowed, saying he was merely citing Israel’s penal code.
“I refer this issue to the attorney general,” Eldad told Israel Radio on Tuesday.
Unlike the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Golan was annexed to Israel, meaning that it falls under sovereign law.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
