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Knesset Expands Death Penalty
The Knesset passed the Death Penalty for Terrorists law with a 62-48 vote.
“The law passed by a 62 to 48 vote with one abstention in its second and third readings”
The legislation allows military courts in the occupied territories to impose death by hanging on Palestinians.
Civilian courts inside Israel can also sentence defendants to death for killing with intent to negate the existence of the State of Israel.
The law opens the door to a potential legal double standard between Palestinians and Israelis.
It mandates executions be carried out within 90 days, which the UN warned would constitute a war crime.
International Condemnation
The law sparked swift and sweeping international condemnation.
A coalition of eight countries branded it discriminatory and warned it entrenches apartheid.
The European Union called it a step backwards.
Demonstrations erupted across Palestinian cities and neighboring countries.
The tensions unfolded against the backdrop of an ongoing siege on Jerusalem’s holy sites.
Legal Duality and Human Rights
The law entrenches a two-tiered legal system with a 96% conviction rate in military courts.
“The long arc of institutional capture and the codification of retributive policies directed overwhelmingly at Palestinians”
Amnesty International warned the law violates human rights obligations.
The UN expressed concern about a parallel bill creating a special military tribunal.
The law does not provide for clemency, violating international human rights law.
Antony Blinken acknowledged the law created serious legal and political challenges.