An Israeli ministerial committee has today awarded preliminary approval to a law, promoted by the far-right party jewish powerwhich would allow applying the death penalty for Palestinians to carry out attacks against Israeli Jews.
This measure, included in the coalition agreements of the current government, the most right-wing in Israel, and that must be approved in five more instances before it enters into force, would imply a historical change in the Jewish state regarding the death penaltywhich has not been applied for 60 years.
The text of this law, which can still be reviewed in any of the subsequent instances, provides that this punishment applies to those who carry deadly attacks on israelis with racist or hate motives and with the aim of harm the State of Israel.
Two Israelis killed in ‘terror attack’
Its preliminary approval comes after a attack this Sunday in the northern West Bank busy in which a Palestinian killed two Israelis with a firearmand in the context of a significant escalation of violence in the area.
Today’s attack raised 13 the death toll from Palestinian attacks since the beginning of the yearwhile the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in 2023 already reaches 62, 11 of them during an Army raid in the West Bank last Wednesday.
“Our response to terror is to attack terror with force and deepen our roots in our land,” said the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, after the approval of this measure. In addition, he has warned that Israel will continue to act “in all ways” to “deter terrorists and safeguard the security of the State.”
Besides, Itamar Ben Gvir, Minister of National Security and leader of the Jewish Power party, has stated that in response to today’s attack “there is nothing more symbolic than approving the death penalty law for terrorists“.
“This is a moral law, and just, in the largest democracy in the world and even more so in a country where a wave of terror is affecting Israeli citizens,” he added.
Criticism of the State Attorney General
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Today’s vote took place despite the State Attorney General’s WarningGali Baharav-Miara, who had discouraged the Government from promoting this measure on the grounds that it would not serve as a deterrent tool and anticipating a strong international criticism against Israel.
After the preliminary approval this Sunday, the law must be approved in a preliminary instance in Parliament, then be reviewed by the Security Cabinet and finally be voted on in three more instances in the Chamber.