Israel's parliament, the Knesset, passed a controversial law on Monday evening that allows the death penalty for those convicted of 'nationalistically motivated murder' or terrorism resulting in death. The law primarily targets Palestinians, including those in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, who murder Israelis, but does not apply to Israelis who kill Palestinians. It was proposed by the far-right party Otzma Yehudit, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The legal framework of the law has been criticized as discriminatory by legal experts, who say it effectively confines death sentences to Palestinian citizens of Israel and excludes Jewish citizens. The law does not require a unanimous verdict for a death sentence and allows death sentences without a request from prosecutors. Military courts on the West Bank will have authority to impose death sentences under the law.
The death penalty will be carried out by hanging, with executions allowed within 90 days of sentencing. The Israeli Medical Association's refusal to participate in lethal injections influenced the choice of hanging as the execution method, according to reports. The bill had originally proposed carrying out executions by lethal injection before switching to hanging.
Palestinians tried in Israeli military courts have a 96% conviction rate, according to the human rights organization B'Tselem. The law applies to those convicted of terror offences resulting in the death of Israelis.
The political context of the law's passage involves a reform package ahead of elections to keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition together, according to professor Isabell Schierenbeck. The law was passed with 62 votes in favor, 48 against, and one abstention, but it requires two more votes in the Knesset to become reality. The bill passed in its first reading in January and has been debated in the Knesset National Security Committee since. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in favor of the law, and Yisrael Beytenu Party leader Avigdor Liberman also supported it after his stance had been unclear.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemn the law as discriminatory and targeting Palestinians. The UK, France, Germany, and Italy issued a joint statement condemning the law. The EU opposes the law and urges Israel to reverse it, citing violations of international law. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the law.
The law has been appealed to Israel's Supreme Court.
There are about 10,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails as of April 2025, but the law will not apply retroactively to current prisoners, including Hamas militants from the October 7 attack.
Israel has started training for possible executions ahead of full approval, according to Israeli media. Israel has only carried out executions twice in its history: in 1948 and 1962.
Strong opposition to the bill has come from lawmakers within the Arab parties in the Knesset. A revised version of the bill stipulates that a judge would decide between capital punishment and life in prison, except for terrorists from the West Bank who face an automatic death penalty.
In unrelated news from Sweden, two cars collided head-on on Highway 56 near Bie outside Katrineholm at around 7 PM. Four people were taken to the hospital by ambulance, with no information on their condition. A man was alone in one car, and a man, woman, and child were in the other. Traffic is expected to be stopped for at least 2 more hours, and both vehicles are seized for investigation.
Also in Sweden, a woman in her 70s was found dead in a residence in Lund, and police have opened a murder investigation. A man related to the woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder or manslaughter.
Separately, a man from western Sweden has been charged with threatening Environment Party spokesperson Amanda Lind on Facebook.
In financial news, the Stockholm stock exchange rose after Donald Trump's comments, with the OMXS index up 1.0% at close.