This Monday, the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) approved, in second and third readings, the law that allows the death penalty to be applied to terrorists
The vote took place after an intense debate and marked an important moment in the country’s security.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in favor of the proposal, along with deputies from the Yisrael Beyteinu party.
Opposition leader Benny Gantz and members of the Degel Hatorah party voted against.
Representative Avi Maoz was not present at the session.
During the discussion, the chairman of the National Security Commission, deputy Zvika Fogel, defended the law as an essential tool in the current war.
He stated that Israel faces unprecedented evil and hatred.
According to Fogel, enemies do not seek borders, agreements or a shared future, but rather to destroy, harm, sow fear and threaten the very existence of the Jewish State.
“Our duty is to protect the citizens of Israel not with words or hopes, but with concrete actions,” he said.
Fogel explained that the law is not about revenge or anger, but about the state’s responsibility for the lives of its citizens.
He highlighted that reality changed after the October 7 attack and that there is now a greater consensus among security authorities on the need for this measure.
“We are not bloodthirsty.
We are a people who value life and, precisely for this reason, we cannot afford to abandon it”, he added.
On the other hand, deputy Gilad Kariv harshly criticized the proposal, classifying it as immoral, un-Jewish and undemocratic.
The new law makes the death penalty a real punishment, not just a theoretical one.
In Judea and Samaria (Judea-Samaria), it becomes the standard penalty for murders committed in a terrorist context.
The unanimous vote of the judges will no longer be necessary, and there will be no possibility of pardon or commutation of the sentence by the military commander.
Those convicted will be held in a separate wing of the prison and execution must take place within 90 days after an automatic appeal.
Within the Green Line (Israel territory proper), the court may impose the death penalty or life imprisonment only in cases of intentional murder with the aim of harming the State.
The Minister of Defense will decide whether the terrorist will be tried in a military or civil court.
Currently, Israeli legislation already provides for the death penalty for crimes such as treason and aiding the enemy, but it has not been applied for decades.
The only execution carried out by civil sentence in the country’s history was that of Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann, in 1962.
With this approval, Israel strengthens its response to terrorism, prioritizing the protection of its citizens in times of conflict.
Published in 03/30/2026 21h43
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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