European leaders have expressed “deep concern” over a bill they say discriminates against Palestinians.
Human rights groups and European governments have condemned Israel’s passage of a law approving the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of fatal terror attacks. There were celebrations in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, after it passed a law on Monday that makes the death penalty—by hanging—the default punishment forPalestinians convicted of nationalistic killings.
It also gives Israeli courts the option of imposing the death penalty on Israeli citizens convicted on similar charges—language that legal experts say effectively confines those who can be sentenced to death to Palestinian citizens of Israel and excludes Jewish citizens, the Associated Press reported. The legislation was approved by 62 of the parliament’s 120 members. Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who pushed the law, waved a bottle of champagne in celebration in the Knesset. Other lawmakers who opposed the move left the chamber in dismay before the votes were complete. Critics say the language of the bill stating that execution can be carried out on those who seek to"negate the existence of the state of Israel" would effectively only apply to Palestinians.Part of the law would decree an execution by hanging within 90 days of sentencing, with some scope for a delay but no right to clemency, although there is an option of commuting to a life sentence in unspecified"special circumstances." Ben-Gvir called the passage of the bill as marking “a day of justice for the murdered, a day of deterrence for enemies." However, the Association of Civil Rights in Israel has challenged the law as “discriminatory by design,” which the Knesset had enacted “without legal authority” over West Bank Palestinians, who are not Israeli citizens. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said in parliament: “We did not establish a Jewish state to adopt the moral standards of radical Islam. This law says: If they come to murder us, the only solution is to be like the murderers. To act like them.” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the legislation"will not break the will of the Palestinian people or undermine their steadfastness.” The foreign ministers of the U.K., Germany, France and Italy issued a joint statement on Tuesday expressing “deep concern” over the bill, in particular its “de facto discriminatory character' that risks "undermining Israel’s commitments with regards to democratic principles.” The law is considered to be the latest action by the nationalist-religious coalition of Prime Ministerthat has raised alarm among Israel’s allies who have been critical of settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The legislation will take effect in 30 days but will face legal challenges that may stall it. The bill will not apply retroactively to any prisoners Israel currently holds, including the Hamas-led militants involved in the attacks of October 7, 2023.Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to help produce this story.
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