Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on March 30 that the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) approved a law stipulating the death penalty for those convicted of terrorism. In the third reading, 62 representatives voted in favor of the controversial law, and 48 opposed it.
The draft law was proposed by the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported this initiative. The debate on this issue in Parliament continued for about 12 hours.
The law provides for the death penalty for a terrorist who intentionally kills a person in a terrorist attack. Reports Jerusalem Post. The sentence will be carried out by hanging, and the execution will be carried out within 90 days from the date of sentencing.
The law assumed that the judge, when making the decision, would be able to choose between the death penalty and life imprisonment (the first version of the document spoke only of execution). Meanwhile, West Bank residents convicted of terrorism by military courts will only be sentenced to death.
how Pointing The Times of Israel, the law effectively reserves the death penalty exclusively for Palestinians, because it clearly excludes Israeli citizens or residents.
A separate provision in the law allows courts to order the execution of anyone, including Israeli citizens, but the death penalty can only be imposed on those who “intentionally cause the death of a person for the purpose of denying the existence of the State of Israel.” This definition excludes executions of Israeli terrorists, according to The Times of Israel.
Knesset member Gilad Kariv said he would file a petition with the Supreme Court against the law.