A bill introduced by Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kreuzer, mandating the publication of the names and details of terrorists released in prisoner exchanges or as part of political gestures, cleared a major hurdle toward becoming law after receiving approval from the Ministerial Legislation Committee.
The bill, titled “Every Terrorist Has a Name,” calls for the creation of a dedicated state-run website to publish identifying information about terrorists who are released. Under the proposed legislation, the site would include full names, photographs, details of the offenses committed, the length of prison sentences, and the circumstances surrounding each individual’s release.
The bill’s title could be an ironic reference to an essay by Hartman Institute researcher Prof. Avi Sagi, titled, “We must not forget: even in Gaza, every individual has a name.”
Prof. Sagi wrote (May 20, 2025): In these turbulent days, the Israeli government is charging forward, unchecked, in a way that threatens to erode the foundations of morality—and the morality of war itself. For some time now, the war in Gaza has ceased to be guided by its most basic moral justification: the protection of human life. Instead, it has become a pursuit of decisive victory, a metaphysical battle against ‘evil’ that ends up perpetuating further evil. … This government no longer hears the cries of the hostages, the anguish of their families, or the voices of anyone whose moral conscience remains alive. Darkness has descended upon the leaders of the state and the IDF—and if left unchallenged, that darkness will consume us all.”
The explanatory notes accompanying the bill state: “The purpose of this bill is to protect the public from security prisoners who have been released from prison, administrative detention, or detention under a detention order or temporary detention order. The threat these individuals pose to the public is well-known and evident, and it is essential that the public be informed of their release through the publication of their names and photographs.”
MK Yitzhak Kreuzer stated, “The Israeli public has the right to know who the terrorists being released in deals are, and what danger they may pose. Transparency is an essential tool in the fight against terrorism. It is unacceptable for terrorists who have harmed Israeli citizens to return to the streets without the public’s knowledge.”
Not so much darkness after all…
Kreuzer, 30, grew up in Mitzpe Yericho, the son of the town’s rabbi, Yehuda Kreuzer, who also serves as the head of the Jewish Idea Yeshiva founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane in 1987. His mother, Shlomit, is a halakhic and personal development consultant. He is among the Temple Mount loyalists and actively advocates for Jewish ascension to the Temple Mount, viewing it as both a religious right and a national obligation.
In March 2023, a bill introduced by MK Yitzhak Kreuzer was approved, allowing police officers to conduct a search without a judicial warrant if there is reasonable suspicion that a weapon—or a significant component of one—that may serve as evidence of a crime is present at the location, and if the urgency of the situation prevents obtaining a warrant in time.
In July 2023, Kreuzer’s “Protection Law” was approved as a temporary measure for five years. The law sets a mandatory minimum prison sentence of three years for extortion-related offenses and allows courts to impose sentences of up to nine years for such crimes.
On July 12, 2023, Kreuzer was elected to serve on the Judicial Selection Committee as a Knesset representative, receiving the support of 86 MKs. Upon his election, he stated that he would work to appoint judges with a Zionist outlook.
