Israel has only twice used the death penalty against a convicted prisoner. The last time was more than sixty years ago, to hang the notorious Nazi war criminal, Adolf Eichmann.
But in the wake of the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023, Israel's deadliest ever day, there is a political push to pass a highly controversial new capital punishment law, targeting Palestinians convicted by Israeli courts of fatal terrorist attacks.
It's another brick in the wall of our defence, the far-right chair of the parliamentary national security committee, Zvika Fogel tells me. To bring in the death penalty is the most moral, the most Jewish and the most decent thing.
But human rights groups see the bill as one of the most extreme legislative proposals in the history of Israel. They argue it is unethical, and because it is designed to apply only to Palestinians, they say it will bring about racialized capital punishment....
In parliament, Limor Son Har-Melech discussed her personal story of loss due to a past attack, emphasizing the need for such legislation as a means to prevent future tragedies. Meanwhile, objections continue from various factions, citing ethical concerns about potential abuses of the law and its discriminatory implications, particularly against non-Jewish populations.
The proposed law's application is controversial; while Israel only recently discussed reintroducing capital punishment, the move could cement growing divisions in an already polarized society, fundamentally shaping the future of justice in the region.
