Israel passes death penalty bill targeting Palestinians

Israel has passed a death penalty bill targeting Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks. The law was passed on Monday, March 30, in the Knesset, the unicameral legislature of Israel.

The legislation makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians found guilty of carrying out attacks seen as acts of terrorism committed with the intention of "denying the existence of the State of Israel".

Israeli civilian courts will have the option of imposing either the death penalty or life imprisonment where the same conditions are met.

The measure was sharply criticised as discriminatory by European countries and several rights groups, claiming that the military courts have a harsher system intended only for Palestinians.

According to the bill, those sentenced to death will be held in a separate facility with no visits, with legal consultations conducted only via video link. Executions will be carried out within 90 days of receiving a sentence.

Voted 62-48 in favour, the bill promoted by the Israeli far-right revives the death penalty for the first time in decades. The last person to be executed in Israel was Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962.

Military courts in the occupied West Bank will also be empowered to hand down death sentences without a request from prosecutors, permitting a simple majority decision.

The measure ultimately denies the right for appeal or clemency for Palestinians.

The national security minister and one of the bill's strongest proponents, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has been seen wearing a noose-shaped pin, symbolising executions under the new law.

The legislation, initiated by the far-right Otzma Yehudit party led by Ben-Gvir, has drawn a lot of criticism from the opposition. Military officials and ministries have said the bill could breach international law and expose Israeli personnel to arrest abroad.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) filed a petition with Israel's Supreme Court seeking repeal, saying that the new law is "a cruel legislative amendment that creates a dual and discriminatory legal system based on ethnicity, deepening racial segregation".

Israel's death penalty bill saw reaction from several international law and human rights organisations.

Last month, the UN called on Israel to withdraw the bill, warning it would violate the right to life and discriminate against Palestinians in the occupied territories. They said the measure removed judicial discretion, preventing courts from considering individual circumstances and imposing proportionate sentences.

Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said in a statement:

"Ireland condemns the law passed by the Israeli parliament to expand the scope of the death penalty and revive its implementation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. The right to life is a fundamental human right and Ireland is consistently and strongly opposed to the use of the death penalty in all cases and in all circumstances."

"I am particularly concerned about the de facto discriminatory nature of the Bill as it relates to Palestinians," she added.

Deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch Adam Coogle called death penalty "irreversible and cruel" in a statement filed by the organisation.

"Combined with its severe restrictions on appeals and its 90-day execution timeline, this bill aims to kill Palestinian detainees faster and with less scrutiny," he added.

Amnesty International also called for "urgent repeal" of the bill, saying it "dismantles fundamental safeguards to prevent the arbitrary deprivation of life and protect the right to a fair trial", further empowering Israel’s "system of apartheid, which is maintained by scores of discriminatory laws against Palestinians."