Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has passed the first reading of a highly controversial bill that would introduce the death penalty for individuals convicted of terrorism, drawing sharp criticism from human rights groups and Palestinian authorities.

The amendment to Israel’s penal code was proposed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and was approved by a vote of 39 to 16 in the 120-member legislature. The vote signals strong backing from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, although the legislation must still pass a second and third reading before becoming law.

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Key Provisions of the Bill

According to the draft text reported by The Times of Israel, the death penalty would apply to those who kill Israelis with “racist motives” and with the intention of “harming the State of Israel and the revival of the Jewish people in its land.”

Critics argue that the wording effectively means the law would target Palestinians exclusively, while attacks carried out by Jewish extremists against Palestinians would not fall under its scope.

The National Security Committee’s explanatory note claims that the bill’s purpose is to “cut off terrorism at its root and create a heavy deterrent.”

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Historical Context and Criticism

Israel is technically still a death penalty state, though the practice has been largely abolished in law and in practice. The last execution in Israel was that of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962. Attempts to introduce similar legislation in the past have failed.

Minister Ben-Gvir welcomed the first reading of the bill on social media, claiming that his party, Jewish Power, is “making history.”

Human rights organizations have condemned the legislation, describing it as a blatant violation of international law that targets Palestinians and exacerbates systemic discrimination.

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Political and Humanitarian Implications

The vote comes amid a United States-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, which began last month in an effort to end Israel’s recent war on the Palestinian enclave. Critics argue that passing such a bill during the truce risks escalating tensions further, particularly as Israel continues military operations in Gaza and settler attacks in the West Bank.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the bill as “a new form of escalating Israeli extremism and criminality against the Palestinian people.” Palestinian authorities also condemned the legislation as embodying the “ugly fascist face of the rogue Zionist occupation.”

More than 10,000 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently detained in Israeli prisons. Human rights groups assert that many of these prisoners are subjected to torture, medical neglect, and starvation, resulting in the deaths of numerous detainees.

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Next Steps

The bill must undergo two additional readings before it can become law. If passed, it would mark a major shift in Israel’s legal and political framework, drawing both international attention and condemnation.

Legal analysts warn that the measure could further inflame the Israel-Palestine conflict and deepen the divide between Israelis and Palestinians, particularly in the context of ongoing military operations and settlement violence in the occupied territories.