Israeli Knesset Passes First Reading of Terrorism Death Penalty Bill

Israel's parliament, the Knesset, approved the first reading of a bill on Monday that would introduce the death penalty for individuals convicted of terrorism motivated by racial hatred and aimed at harming the state or its Jewish population. The legislation, proposed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and members of his Otzma Yehudit party, passed with 39 votes in favor and 16 against in the 120-seat body, amid a boycott by much of the opposition. The measure now advances to a parliamentary committee for review before requiring two additional readings to become law.

The bill amends Israel's penal code to mandate capital punishment for those who kill Israeli citizens out of racial or national hostility, specifically with the intent to undermine the State of Israel and the Jewish people's presence in the land. According to a statement from the Knesset National Security Committee, the proposal seeks to "cut off terrorism at its root and create a heavy deterrent." It would allow military courts in the occupied West Bank, which handle cases involving Palestinians, to impose death sentences by a simple majority of judges rather than unanimous agreement. The legislation...