Answers to Questions by Yair Davidiy
A terrorist should be killed or imprisoned, but why does the Israeli government demolish the home of his family members?
https://www.quora.com/A-terrorist-should-be-killed-or-imprisoned-but-why-does-the-Israeli-government-demolish-the-home-of-his-family-members/answer/Yair-Davidiy
Answer:
Israel is constrained by its own misguided humanitarian principles, its defeatist legal system, and also by fear of international opinion. They cannot put terrorists to death apart from individuals killing them in self-defense. Even then it is not so simple and the Israeli who defends themself in that way risks being prosecuted. The jail system is corrupt. Palestinian terrorists in Israeli jails have relatively good conditions, can watch TV, study for University degrees, play sport, pray, and hang out all day long with others like themselves. Meanwhile their families receive generous pensions from the Palestinian Authority and their social prestige rises. There is always a chance of them being released in some kind of deal with the Israeli Government after which they will be set for life. Usually they have received support and encouragement from family members. If such was not the case, such is the Palestinian mentality, it is unlikely they would have committed the crime. Destroying the house of family members, or threatening to do so, is one of the few deterrents available. It saves lives. Lives are more important than buildings, even Jewish lives. At least they should be.