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Knesset approves controversial death penalty bill
Israel's parliament voted on Monday to impose the death penalty by default on Palestinians convicted of fatal terror attacks, sparking international condemnation and accusations of discrimination.
Key provisions of the law
The legislation, passed 62-48, mandates execution by hanging within 90 days for Palestinians found guilty in military courts of deadly attacks classified as terrorism. A possible extension of up to 180 days is allowed.
While the law theoretically applies to Jewish Israelis, legal experts say its language-requiring proof the attack aimed to "negate the existence of the state of Israel"-makes such cases nearly impossible.
Political and public reactions
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the bill's architect, celebrated the vote on X, declaring: "We made history!!! We promised. We delivered."
"For years, we endured a cruel cycle of terror, imprisonment, release in reckless deals, and the return of these human monsters to murder Jews again."
Limor Son Har-Melech, Knesset member and attack survivor
Son Har-Melech, whose husband was killed in a 2002 Palestinian attack, argued the law was necessary, citing the case of a released assailant who later participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks.
Criticism and legal challenges
Opposition leader Yair Golan called the law "unnecessary," warning it would trigger international sanctions without improving security. "It's designed to get Ben-Gvir more likes," he said.
The UK, France, Germany, and Italy jointly expressed "deep concern" before the vote, stating the bill risks "undermining Israel's democratic principles."
The Palestinian Authority condemned the law as "legitimizing extrajudicial killing," while Hamas warned it "threatens the lives" of Palestinian prisoners and urged global intervention.
Human rights groups respond
Amnesty International demanded the law's repeal, with Erika Guevara-Rosas, the group's senior director, stating: "Israel is brazenly granting itself carte blanche to execute Palestinians while stripping away fair-trial safeguards."
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has already petitioned the Supreme Court, calling the law "unconstitutional, discriminatory by design, and enacted without legal authority for West Bank Palestinians."
Historical context
Israel has executed only two people in its history: Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi official convicted for his role in the Holocaust, and a soldier in 1948. The new law marks a dramatic shift in the country's judicial approach to capital punishment.
