Rejection grows in Israel of bill to execute Palestinian prisoners

Tel Aviv, Feb 18.- Around 1,200 academics, university rectors, former military personnel, former judges, and figures from various Israeli sectors criticized a bill, currently under parliamentary review, that would allow the execution of Palestinian prisoners convicted of deadly attacks.

"We, the undersigned, strongly oppose the bill on the death penalty currently being debated in the Knesset (Legislature) (...) and call on Knesset members to reject it," they stated in a communiqué published by the national press.

The text is signed, among others, by former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Army Chiefs of Staff Dan Halutz and Moshe Ya'alon, as well as Nobel Laureates Ada Yonath, AharonCiechanover, Avram Hershko, and Dan Shechtman.

The declaration, also signed by four former Supreme Court justices, emphasized that "renewing the use of the death penalty would cast a moral stain on Israel" and states that it is an extreme and absolute measure, and that its basic justification, the supposed deterrence of murderers, is not supported by scientific research.

The petition noted that the legislation, promoted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, includes extreme and unusual provisions because it would only be used against Palestinians who murder Israelis and not the other way around.

Recently, Channel 13 revealed plans to establish a special complex to carry out executions and develop operational procedures on the matter.

For its part, the newspaper Haaretz highlighted that the legislative draft explicitly states that executions would be carried out by hanging, carried out by a specially appointed prison official, although it was previously announced that lethal injections would be used.

The bill was presented by far-right legislator Limor Son Har-Melech, of the Otzma Yehudit party, led by Ben-Gvir.

Although it has already passed its second and third readings in the Knesset, no date has yet been set for the final vote.

The legislation also grants total civil and criminal immunity to the officials involved and prohibits any commutation, appeal, or annulment once the death sentence has been handed down. (Text and photo: PL)