Israel votes for death penalty for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks

[CanAnybodyFindMe]

“Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wore a noose pin on his lapel to signal his support for the bill”

I first heard about this on Facebook and thought it might be anti-Israel fake news. But no, it’s true.

Absolutely horrifying and sickening.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8dkd6lnjdo

Sorry didn't check date of publication.
Message withdrawn

Recent article

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-891710

The shame is not on us all. It’s on the Israelis bringing in this legislation and their supporters in Israel and around the world.

I agree, but they aren’t in charge.

It’s not enough to say it’s far away in a different country. The world is a small place and we should be loudly defending those who can’t defend themselves. It’s rather like sitting on your hands and turning the volume up on your tv while your neighbour beats the crap out of his wife and kids.

I think this is an important question. What does the 'average Israeli' think? Israelis are the only ones who can change this really, it is their country, their laws. Most of the world is condemning it but we aren't actually seeing much from Israel? I can find this article that suggests 'broad support' from Jewish Israelis and support for the death penalty going back as far as 2017.

I don't know how things work in Israel though, bills would not get as far as this one has without support from the public in my country is it the same in Israel, I don't know. They seem to have lots of abhorrent politicians who say wicked things and that's acceptable there, they keep getting paid even when we are told the majority of the public don't agree with what they are saying whereas in my country if a politician said something like children are not innocents or defended sexual assault, they would have their desks packed away for them before the end of their speech. It's the same with the Israeli settlers issue, we are told that the majority don't agree but their politicians still support settlers and settlers still assault and kill people with impunity. It's kind of hard to know where the public stand when it seems anything goes in politics in Israel and you can say and do what you like(and we are talking about really serious things like killing people, supporting sexual assault, terrorism and racial segregation, not a politician saying that they don't like rent control) even if the majority of the public don't agree, it's doesn't seem to be a democracy as we know it.

For myself I would remove all support and trade from Israel until there is a total ceasefire and Palestinians have their own state and more security.

I understand there is real and justified fear of what might happen next for Israelis. I would imagine if they released their prisoners that they fear they would then use their freedom to hurt the oppressors. So I think we (as in the world not just uk) should offer to police first Palestine but more importantly the border. Bombs don’t work. They don’t work for anyone. Let’s try something different.

I think I probably know a few more Israelis than you do lol

'For myself I would remove all support and trade from Israel until there is a total ceasefire and Palestinians have their own state and more security.'

We would lose far more than Israel if we did this. According to UN COMTRADE database, recently updated 2025 figures totalling $1.8 billion imported from Israel to the UK show examples: electrical, electronic equipment $158.66 million; optical, photo, technical, medical apparatus $199.39 million, plastics $197.26 million the list is endless.

I would be very interested to know their views on this law if you don't mind sharing. I don't know any Israelis, I did read some comments on an article that was published in The Times of Israel, and the views were both in support and against the new law. I know a few comments are not reflective of the society as a whole but there certainly were comments in favour.

Thank you for asking and your interest @BerthaPotts. It is the beginning of Passover tonight so I know my Israeli family will be busy today preparing for the Seder later so I am happy to check with them after tomorrow. I'm pretty sure they are just as horrified as we are.
As you could see from the comments in the article you read the Israeli population is much like any other in that they will be as divided about what their government does in their name. There are very many families whose lives have been badly affected by the terrorism inflicted upon them, by Hamas in particular.
I would hope that @Israelilefty will see this thread and be able to answer you more fully as she lives in Israel. Shalom.

@FloralDeerPattern Although as a Brit I can't speak for Israelis as I only know what my family there think, Israel is a democracy but you are right in that it is not one as we know it. The reason for that is, IMO, is that they elect their MKs (members of the Knesset) and government through Proportional Representation. Netanyahu has only been able to wield power because he has had to form a coalition government of FIVE parties including ultra nationalist AND ultra religious parties, thus becoming the most right wing government in Israel's history.
Just imagine if we had PR here and let in the likes of Zack Polanski on the one hand or Nigel Farage on the other, as 'kingmakers' like Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.

Supporters of Israel around the world do not have any influence on lsraeli laws.

That's quite the assumption there, and a lot of word salad.

What is the assumption? That I know more Israelis? How many do you know?
It is no 'word salad' at all but factual figures from the UN - I could have listed everything that is imported.

Anyone supporting the Israeli regime and it’s actions at this point should be ashamed.

Ultimately it’s State sanctioned murder. Regardless as to whom is implementing it. Arguing that it’s abhorrent because it targets one particular nationality and is therefore discrimination is arguing for the wrong thing.

So $1.8 of UK money is supporting a country running amok in the ME and slaughtering tens of thousands and you think WE would be the losers if we took our business elsewhere?

Behave.

Both are relevant
Neither should be ignored

We don’t have to just concider one aspect at a time. We can and should argue against both if we favour democracy and equality

Much of the technology we use here is only available from Israel where it was originally developed. So yes we would lose out.

Let’s hope we find other suppliers

Nobody is irreplaceable and no technology is immune from replication. Israel does not have us by the short and curlies and frankly even if they did we could and should stand strong. We can do without if necessary.

Responding as I saw I was tagged. I saw someone commenting "we don't hear much from Israel" - Israel has a very lively media, but I think that many people on here forget (since a couple of English-language sources are available) that very little of it is translated into English.

As someone on the political left, I don't know anyone who is in favour of the law. Here are a few comments from Hebrew-language public posts on social media:

From a religious leftist: "The law of death to terrorists is the final death of the State. Blessed be the true judge. Ripping clothes." (the last two parts refer to the traditional responses to hearing of the death of a close relative).

From a centrist religious Zionist who did a lot of reserve duty "Ben Gvir never served in the army and never had to face the taking of life. So he remains a criminal, racist hilltop youth just how he was, but now wearing a suit. ... The law of a death penalty for terrorists is an expression of the lust for death and killing of people who are brainwashed with hatred for Arabs, who didn't serve in the army and didn't serve their country. Once upon a time religious Zionism spewed out Kahana and people like him ... Now these sickos are the face of religious Zionism, and we have to spew them out again".

A rabbi on the left of centre: "I oppose the death penalty with every fibre of my being. I feel that our government has completely lost it. From theft [the government] is now moving on to bloodshed. How careful the historical sages were not to put a person to death. In the Mishnah, in tractate Makkot, it is said in the name of Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya ... that a Sanhedrin [religious Supreme Court] which executes one person in seventy years is called a destructive Sanhedrin. ... Only God can decide to take a human life."

Clearly the law was designed to be slipped in on a day when it wouldn't get much media attention as everyone is preoccupied (2 days before Passover during a war - a bit like the equivalent of a UK law passing on Dec 23 during a severe Covid wave). I seriously hope that one of the first priorities of the next government will be removing this law.

@Israelilefty thank you very much for that insight. If i may ask, with this strong opposition amongst the people like you mentioned, how did the law pass through with a majority vote?

Clearly the law was designed to be slipped in on a day when it wouldn't get much media attention as everyone is preoccupied (2 days before Passover during a war - a bit like the equivalent of a UK law passing on Dec 23 during a severe Covid wave). I seriously hope that one of the first priorities of the next government will be removing this law.

Not sure that I am buying this. Ben Gvir has been prancing around with his noose for months now? Surely the electorate doesn't wait until the day the bill is passed before they speak up and say this is abhorrent, especially something as serious as state mandated killing of people? This isn't some out of the blue whoops didn't that coming law, this is something that had 2 previous readings the first being in Nov 2025. This is point that you mobilise against it surely not the day it is being passed?

Thanks for replying @israelilefty - it was me who tagged you.