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Knesset Backs Death Penalty for Terrorist Killings in First Reading

The Ben-Gvir bill, endorsed by Netanyahu, would mandate executions for terrorists who murder Israelis if it clears two further votes.

Overview

  • The draft makes capital punishment mandatory for terrorist murders of Israeli citizens and does not apply to Israelis who kill Palestinians.
  • It would allow military courts to impose death sentences by simple majority and would prohibit commutation to life imprisonment.
  • Israel has not carried out an execution since Adolf Eichmann in 1962, and capital punishment has been limited in law since 1954.
  • The Palestinian Authority condemned the move as a step toward extrajudicial killings, while rights groups and some jurists warned of unequal application and heightened tensions.
  • The proposal still requires two additional readings and votes in the Knesset before it can become law.