Israel Moves Towards Death Penalty for Terrorism Amid Controversial Legislation

Fri Dec 05 2025 06:53:28 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Israel's Knesset has advanced a bill proposing the death penalty for individuals convicted of terrorism, a move seen as targeting Palestinians specifically. The bill marks a significant shift in legal repercussions and has sparked widespread debate on its implications.

The Israeli parliament has passed the first reading of a controversial bill that seeks to impose the death penalty on individuals deemed to be terrorists. Championed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the legislation is expected to predominantly affect Palestinians convicted of attacks on Israelis. While the bill has garnered support from certain factions within the Knesset, it has also drawn fierce criticism from Palestinian representatives and human rights organizations, who argue it could lead to targeted executions.

Israel's parliament has passed the first reading of a bill proposing the death penalty for those it deems to be terrorists acting against the state - a requirement which means it is likely to be used only against Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis.

The far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir - whose Jewish Power party brought the vote - celebrated late on Monday by handing out sweets after the bill was approved in the 120-seat Knesset by 39 votes to 16.

After the law is finally passed - terrorists will only be released to hell, he said.

The bill must pass two more readings before becoming law.

In the same session, the Knesset also approved the first reading of another controversial bill allowing the Israeli government to close a foreign media outlet without court approval. That vote was 50 in favour and 41 against.

The legislation aims to turn a temporary order that allowed the closure of Qatari-owned Al Jazeera in May 2024 into a permanent law. It has been opposed by the government's legal advisers.

While the death penalty does exist for a small number of crimes in Israel, it has only been used twice since 1948 when the state was created. The last time was when the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann was hanged in 1962, after a public trial.

An amendment to the penal code was demanded by the Jewish Power party and signed off by the Knesset's National Security Committee, stating its purpose was to nip terrorism in the bud and create a weighty deterrent.

The statement read: It is proposed that a terrorist convicted of murder motivated by racism or hatred towards the public, and under circumstances where the act was committed with the intent to harm the State of Israel and the rebirth of the Jewish nation in its homeland will be sentenced to the death penalty - mandatory.

The clause about harming Israel makes it likely that Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks, but not Jewish Israelis, will be sentenced to death.

The foreign ministry of the Palestinian Authority called the proposed law a new form of escalating Israeli extremism and criminality against the Palestinian people.

Ben-Gvir had long pushed for the death penalty bill to be brought to a Knesset vote, but opposition from Israeli political and security leaders had previously stalled its progress. However, with the return of hostages following a recent ceasefire, there are now fewer concerns about its implications for hostage negotiations.

Responding to the draft bill, Palestinian human rights organizations expressed concerns about the possibility of retroactive application, suggesting it could lead to collective death sentences targeting hundreds of detainees.

The two controversial bills are expected to be prepared for further readings in parliament, continuing Israel's complex legislative journey amidst ongoing tensions in the region.