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🇮🇱 Israel /Crime & Justice

Arab lawmakers seek to join High Court petition against death penalty law

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Arab lawmakers are seeking to join a High Court petition challenging Israel's new death penalty law for terrorism cases.
  • National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a proponent of the law, criticized the move, stating it reveals who fears the legislation.
  • The petition argues the law is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and particularly targets Palestinians, especially through its application in West Bank military courts.

Several Arab lawmakers and a former Member of Knesset have requested to join an existing petition at Israel's High Court of Justice, which challenges the country's new death penalty law for terrorism offenses. The move has drawn a sharp rebuke from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a key figure behind the legislation.

If anyone had any doubt who is afraid of the death penalty law for terrorists and why, today they got the answer.

— Itamar Ben-GvirResponding to Arab lawmakers seeking to join the petition against the death penalty law.

The request, filed by the legal advocacy group Adalah, seeks to add Hadash MK Ofer Cassif, Ra’am MKs Mansour Abbas, Walid al-Hawashla, and Waleed Taha, along with former Balad MK Sami Abu Shehadeh, as petitioners. They argue their public interest and involvement in the parliamentary debate warrant their inclusion to present a comprehensive range of issues to the court.

Supporters of terrorism are rushing to stand against the law that will execute their terrorist friends. When they are afraid, it means we are doing something right.

— Itamar Ben-GvirCriticizing those opposing the death penalty law.

Minister Ben-Gvir responded to the lawmakers' request by stating, "If anyone had any doubt who is afraid of the death penalty law for terrorists and why, today they got the answer." He added, "Supporters of terrorism are rushing to stand against the law that will execute their terrorist friends. When they are afraid, it means we are doing something right."

We will continue to fight terrorism without compromise and restore deterrence to the State of Israel.

— Itamar Ben-GvirStating his commitment to combating terrorism.

The original petition contends that the law, passed in March, is unconstitutional and discriminatory. It violates rights to life, dignity, equality, and due process, with critics focusing on its provisions for the West Bank, where death could become the default punishment in certain terrorism murder cases. Legal figures have also questioned the morality of the state carrying out executions, with one professor stating the issue is not whether terrorists "deserve to live," but whether Israel should be the one to execute them.

The petition itself asks the High Court to strike down the law as unconstitutional, arguing that it violates the rights to life, dignity, equality, and due process, and creates a discriminatory framework aimed primarily at Palestinians, especially through its application in West Bank military courts.

— AdalahSummarizing the legal arguments against the death penalty law.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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