The flag of the Syrian al-Qaeda-affiliated group Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday unanimously approved a bill that would penalize Israeli citizens and residents who join foreign militias such as the Islamic State terror group. The bill stipulates a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

The bill, proposed by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (Hatnuah), authorizes the defense minister to decide which groups fall under the jurisdiction of the proposed law. Its initiation comes against the backdrop of recent reports of Israeli Arabs traveling to Syria to join armed groups fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Some of these groups are considered to pose a security threat to Israel.

“Israel, like any other country, has the right to defend itself against radical Islamic terrorism,” Livni said, according to Israel Hayom.