New law makes death penalty default sentence for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis
· Toronto Sun
Israel’s parliament passed a new law establishing the death penalty by hanging for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, sparking fear in the West Bank.
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in sit-ins and marches in the Israeli-occupied territory, which will be impacted most by the new measure.
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The new law orders West Bank military courts — which prosecute only Palestinians — to make the death penalty the default sentence for those convicted, except in special circumstances.
“Time is running out and silence is deadly,” read signs carried by protesters in the central West Bank city of Nablus, some of which also showed a graphic of a noose next to a prisoner in a keffiyeh scarf.
“Stop the law to execute prisoners, before it’s too late,” read other signage.
The protesters chanted, “You are the symbol of struggle, you are the symbol of steadfastness,” as some held up signs with the faces of friends and family currently in Israeli prisons.
The measure is not retroactive and won’t apply to current prisoners.
When will the law take effect?
The bill passed its final vote in the Israeli parliament late Monday, as Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who spearheaded the push for the legislation, described the law as long overdue and a sign of strength and national pride.
The law extends also to Israeli courts, giving them the option of imposing the death penalty on Israeli citizens convicted of nationalistic murder.
Legal experts say the language of the law effectively confines those who can be sentenced to death to Palestinian citizens of Israel while excluding Jewish citizens.
The law is set to take effect in 30 days, though it could be delayed by pending court proceedings at Israel’s highest tribunal as the move has been widely criticized as discriminatory.
Violating international law?
The Fatah political party announced a general strike in the northern part of the West Bank for Wednesday over the legislation.
Palestinian officials said the death penalty measure violates international law and are asking other countries to intervene.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called for sanctions on Israel’s parliament and its suspension from international bodies.
“The law represents a critical turning point in the formalization of extrajudicial killings under a legal guise,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The ministry stresses that this law, in its essence, constitutes an institutionalized policy of field executions based on discriminatory and racist standards.”
Amnesty International has said that the use of the death penalty under the new measure could violate the right to life and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment, as enshrined in international law.
—With files from The Associated Press