Israeli Knesset passes law to execute Palestinians for 'acts of terrorism'
Israeli Knesset passes law to execute Palestinians for 'acts of terrorism' Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 03/30/2026 - 19:52 Law makes death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians for killings that come under 'acts of terrorism' Israeli soldiers patrol a street during a military operation in the Askar refugee camp in eastern Nablus, Israeli-occupied West Bank, on 2 March 2026 (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP) Off The Israeli Knesset passed on Monday a death penalty law targeting Palestinians, in a move condemned by human rights organisations. The legislation establishes two separate pathways for the death penalty based on national identity. The law makes the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank who are tried in military courts. ”This law institutionalizes the state-sanctioned, cold-blooded killing of individuals who pose no threat whatsoever,” Suhad Bishara, legal director at Adalah, a Palestinian-run legal center said in a statement. “By design, this legislation exclusively targets Palestinians, violating the fundamental principle of equality and prohibition on racial discrimination,” Bishara added. Adalah plans to petition the Supreme Court against the law. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, another leading Israeli human rights group, announced on Monday it had filed a petition against the law. "First, the Knesset has no authority to legislate for the West Bank. Israel holds no sovereignty there," the group said. "Second, the law is unconstitutional. It violates the right to life, human dignity, due process, and equality -- rights protected under (Israel's) Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty," the group added. The law creates an effective blackout for Palestinians sentenced to death in the occupied West Bank. It allows for executions by hanging to be carried out covertly and imposes near-total isolation on “death row” prisoners. The law says the death penalty will be imposed on persons convicted of killings under “acts of terrorism”. This effectively exempts Israeli Jews convicted of murder. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The very fact that the Knesset is passing legislation pertaining to Palestinians in the West Bank is illegal under international law. Israel wrested control of the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 war and the territory is occupied under international law. An occupying power can not generally apply its domestic laws to occupied territories. The Knesset’s move signifies what experts warn is a de facto annexation of the West Bank by Israel. “The application of Israeli domestic law to Palestinian residents of the West Bank is a flagrant violation of international law, as the Knesset holds no sovereign authority to legislate for an occupied population,” Bishara’s statement added. Occupation News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0