Knesset Passes Death Penalty Law Amid Human Rights Backlash

The new law mandates hanging as the penalty for nationalistic killings in military courts, while stripping away the possibility of pardons. While the statute theoretically allows Israeli courts to sentence citizens for similar crimes, experts argue the application will be strictly one-sided. Amichai Cohen of the Israel Democracy Institute noted that the law specifically targets activities aimed at undermining Israel’s existence, effectively insulating Jewish defendants from indictment.

Amnesty International condemned the measure as an extreme expansion of state power, pointing to the 99% conviction rate in military courts as evidence that the process lacks basic fair-trial safeguards. Erika Guevara-Rosas, the group’s senior director of research, described the law as a culmination of systemic dehumanization, noting its passage follows the dismissal of charges against soldiers accused of raping a Palestinian prisoner.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor warned that because the judicial process in these instances frequently relies on coerced confessions and limits legal representation, the policy constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of life. Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir celebrated the result, appearing in photos clutching champagne shortly after the vote, a move that critics say underscores the political nature of the legislation.