Israel’s parliament approved a law mandating the death penalty for Palestinians on the West Bank, sparking widespread criticism but not from the United States.
New Law Permits Death Penalty for Palestinians
Israel’s Knesset passed legislation on Monday evening requiring the death penalty by hanging for Palestinians convicted by military courts within 90 days, without the possibility of clemency, though life imprisonment remains an option.
The law applies solely to Palestinians residing in the West Bank, who, unlike Jewish settlers, are subject to military courts administered by the occupying authorities.
Right-Wing Minister Champions the Law
The bill was initiated by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who advocates for the expulsion of Arabs from Israel and the occupied territories, and the annexation of the entire West Bank.
Ben Gvir celebrated the law’s passage, stating, “We have made history,” and dismissing pressure from the European Union, declaring, “We are not afraid, we will not surrender.” He posted a video of himself celebrating outside the Knesset, stating, “Soon we will be counting them one by one.”
International Outcry, US Remains Silent
Prior to the vote, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom criticized the bill as “de facto discriminatory” and warned it could undermine Israel’s democratic principles.
The US State Department spokesperson stated the United States respects Israel’s sovereign right to establish its own laws and penalties for terrorism convictions.
Legal Challenges and Palestinian Condemnation
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel announced it would appeal the law to the Israeli Supreme Court.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the law, asserting Israel has no sovereignty over Palestinian land and that it reveals the “colonial nature” of the Israeli system, seeking to legitimize extrajudicial killings.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) in Gaza denounced the law as perpetuating Israel’s policy of extrajudicial executions under the guise of law, violating international human rights and humanitarian law.
UN and Amnesty International Criticize the Law
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC) called for Israel to immediately repeal the “discriminatory” death penalty law, citing violations of international law.
Amnesty International labeled the law a “public display of cruelty, discrimination, and utter contempt for human rights,” noting it followed the suspension of proceedings against Israeli soldiers accused of sexual assault against a Palestinian prisoner.
Amnesty International stated that the law, allowing state-sanctioned executions, is the culmination of a long-standing policy of extrajudicial killings of Palestinians.
Council of Europe and Hamas Respond
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, condemned the law as a “serious regression,” stating the death penalty is a legal anachronism and any discriminatory application is unacceptable in a state governed by the rule of law.
Hamas also condemned the law as a “dangerous precedent” threatening the lives of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
