Israeli Parliament passes death penalty bill targeting Palestinians

Israel’s parliament passed a highly controversial “death penalty bill” on the 30th, with a vote of 62 in favor and 48 against. The bill authorizes judges to sentence Palestinians from the West Bank whom they have determined carried out “fatal attacks” to death. According to The Times of Israel, the bill is seen as a major political achievement for the far-right politician and “Jewish Power Party” led by far-right politician and National Security Minister Ben-Gvir. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in favor of the bill during the vote.

Under the provisions of the bill, Palestinians from the West Bank who are convicted by military courts of carrying out fatal attacks would be presumed to be sentenced to hanging; under “special circumstances,” judges may instead impose a life sentence, but the relevant criteria are not clearly defined.

Under Israel’s current legal system, Palestinians from the West Bank suspected in security cases and in some criminal cases are typically tried in military courts, while Israeli citizens and settlers are subject to the civil judicial system. The bill also stipulates that imposing a death sentence does not require unanimous agreement among the judges of a “panel,” and that a ruling can be made with a simple majority. The bill does not have retroactive effect, so it does not apply to people involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, and legislation targeting that incident is being advanced separately.

In addition, according to Israel’s Haaretz, the bill also applies to other areas actually controlled by Israel, including parts of the Gaza Strip.

Israel is viewed internationally as a country that retains the death penalty in law but has effectively abolished it. Israeli media have noted that although the bill adds clauses allowing the death penalty to be applied to any person, including Israeli citizens, in certain circumstances, the requirement is “intentional killing with the purpose of denying the existence of the State of Israel.” In practice, this definition is essentially not applied to Jewish people, but instead targets Palestinians, including Palestinian citizens of Israel. (Xinhua News Agency)