Israel’s parliament passed a law on Monday that approves the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, drawing immediate condemnation from international officials and rights groups who said the measure is discriminatory and inhumane. The Knesset vote capped a yearslong drive led by far-right figures to escalate punishment for Palestinians convicted of nationalistic offenses against Israelis, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to the chamber to vote for the measure in person.
After the final count of 62-48, lawmakers erupted into cheers and stood to celebrate. Netanyahu remained seated and did not immediately react or speak, according to the report of the session. Far-right minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir spearheaded the push for the legislation and celebrated with a bottle, while far-right lawmaker Limor Son Har-Melech—an original sponsor who has spoken publicly about her first husband being killed in a Palestinian militant attack in the West Bank—smiled through tears.
The bill would make hanging the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted of nationalistic killings in military courts, where cases cover only West Bank Palestinians and not Israeli citizens. It also gives Israeli civilian courts a wider set of sentencing options for Israeli citizens convicted on similar charges, allowing judges to choose between the death penalty and life imprisonment, rather than treating death as automatic. The legislation defines the offense as killing that rejects the existence of the state of Israel, language that legal experts said would narrow the reach of death sentences in practice.
Israel’s law would not apply retroactively to prisoners the government currently holds, including Hamas-led militants who attacked the country on Oct. 7, 2023, triggering the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The bill states it will take effect in 30 days, setting up a near-term legal and political fight over how broadly it can be implemented and against whom.
The measure also set off controversy during the Knesset debate. In earlier deliberations, lawmakers raised concerns about procedural requirements for imposing the death penalty, including objections that the bill would allow sentencing without a unanimous conviction. Members of the opposition at times urged colleagues to reject the legislation, and several left the chamber before votes were completed.
Ben-Gvir defended the bill before lawmakers, saying: “From today, every terrorist will know, and the whole world will know, that whoever takes a life, the State of Israel will take their life.” The minister wore a pin shaped like a small metal noose on his lapel as he spoke, underscoring the emphasis the bill places on capital punishment. Opposition lawmakers including Gilad Kariv criticized the law’s approach, saying, “A law in which a person can be sentenced to death without a unanimous conviction. Is this justice in your eyes? Is this the sanctity of life that Israeli tradition has taught us?” Kariv said the bill contravenes international law and risks turning Israeli soldiers and prison guards into “war criminals against their will.”
Within minutes of the vote, the Association of Civil Rights in Israel said it had already petitioned the country’s highest court to challenge the legislation. The group called the bill “discriminatory by design” and said the parliament enacted it “without legal authority” over West Bank Palestinians, who are not Israeli citizens. Amichai Cohen, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute’s Center for Democratic Values and Institutions, said that under international law, Israel’s parliament should not be legislating in the West Bank, which he said is not sovereign Israeli territory.
International officials also criticized the measure in advance and at the time of its passage. Foreign ministers of Australia, Britain, France, Germany and Italy released a statement Sunday urging Israel to abandon plans to pass the law, calling it “de facto discriminatory” and saying the death penalty is unethical and has no “deterring effect.” The bill’s backers said it reflects national strength, while opponents warned it could have consequences beyond the courtroom, including concerns about negotiations tied to hostage releases.
The vote marked a sharp break from Israel’s recent practice even though Israel has had the death penalty on its books for some offenses, according to the report. Israel has not carried out an execution since Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann was hanged in 1962, and the Public Committee against Torture in Israel said the country has repeatedly voted in favor of abolishing the death penalty at the United Nations. Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, previously opposed resuming capital punishment, the report said, saying it could spur revenge plots, though the bill proceeded anyway.