Israeli Knesset passes discriminatory death penalty law for Palestinians, sparking UN and EU condemnation
Consensus Summary
The Israeli Knesset passed a controversial death penalty law on Monday that would apply exclusively to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank convicted of deadly terror attacks, while Jewish extremists accused of similar crimes would face different penalties. The law, which makes the death penalty the default sentence and includes severe restrictions on appeals, has drawn sharp criticism from the UN and European leaders. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker TĂŒrk warned that the law violates international law and could constitute a war crime if applied in the occupied territory, while Spainâs Prime Minister Pedro SĂĄnchez condemned it as a discriminatory step toward apartheid. The legislation also faces legal challenges in Israel, with human rights groups and lawmakers seeking to overturn it. Israel has rarely used the death penalty, with the last execution occurring in 1962, but the new law would significantly expand its application under military courts in the West Bank. The UN and EU have urged Israel to repeal the bill, emphasizing its discriminatory nature and potential violations of human rights.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- The Israeli Knesset passed a law on Monday allowing the death penalty for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank convicted of deadly terror attacks by military courts, with executions to occur within 90 days of sentencing
- The law does not apply to Jewish extremists accused of similar crimes, creating a discriminatory two-tiered justice system
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker TĂŒrk stated the law is 'patently inconsistent with Israelâs international law obligations' and that its application in the occupied Palestinian territory would constitute a war crime
- The legislation makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the West Bank found guilty of intentionally carrying out deadly attacks deemed acts of terrorism by a military court
- Israel has rarely used the death penalty, with the last execution being Adolf Eichmann in 1962
- The law permits military courts to hand down death sentences without requiring unanimity, instead allowing a simple majority decision
- Spainâs Prime Minister Pedro SĂĄnchez condemned the law as an 'asymmetric measure' and a 'step closer to apartheid' on social media
- The EU spokesperson Anouar El Anouni called the law 'a clear step backwards' and 'deeply discriminatory'
- The law includes severe restrictions on appeals, such as legal consultations conducted only by video link and no visits except from authorized personnel
- Israel holds over 9,000 Palestinians in its jails, many under unlawful and inhumane conditions according to Oxfam
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The law was passed by the Israeli Knesset on Monday, with a security committee making amendments before its first vote last week
- Executions would be carried out by hanging, according to Israelâs public broadcaster KAN
- The law allows courts to impose the death penalty without a request from prosecutors
- The defense minister would be able to submit an opinion in death penalty cases
- Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a strong backer of the bill, has repeatedly worn a noose-shaped lapel pin symbolizing executions
- The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said the law creates 'two parallel tracks, both designed to apply to Palestinians' and should be struck down on constitutional grounds
- Shaista Aziz of Oxfam stated the bill is 'another horrifying act of violence' and that Israel is violating international law by ensuring the death penalty applies only to Palestinians
- The law is facing legal challenges from Israeli human rights groups and three members of parliament who filed petitions to the supreme court
- The UN chief AntĂłnio Guterresâ spokesman StĂ©phane Dujarric stated the UN stands 'against the death penalty in all its aspects, wherever'
- The law creates a separate and harsher legal track for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, as they are automatically tried in Israeli military courts
- In Israeli civilian courts, the law allows for either death or life imprisonment for those convicted of killing with intent to harm the state
- Israel has only applied the death penalty twiceâonce in 1948 against a military captain accused of high treason, and again in 1962 for Adolf Eichmann
- UN rights chief Volker TĂŒrk also warned about another bill before the Knesset establishing a special military court exclusively for crimes by Palestinians during October 7, 2023, which would not cover Israeli forces' crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory
- Benjamin Netanyahu was present in the Knesset chamber when the vote passed, and the chamber erupted in cheers
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian mentions the law was passed on Monday with amendments by a security committee, while ABC does not specify the exact timing of amendments or confirm the day of passage
- The Guardian states the law allows courts to impose the death penalty without a prosecutor's request, but ABC does not mention this detail
- The Guardian highlights that the defense minister can submit an opinion in death penalty cases, which ABC does not reference
- The Guardian reports that executions would be carried out by hanging, while ABC does not specify the method of execution
- The Guardian includes a quote from Oxfamâs Shaista Aziz calling the bill 'another horrifying act of violence,' while ABC does not reference Oxfam or this specific phrasing
Source Articles
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