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Death by hanging will be the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of committing deadly attacks on Israelis under a new Israeli law. Israel's far-right coalition government pushed through the controversial legislation and included an exemption for Jewish Israelis convicted of similar crimes. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: The law passed late last night with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally attending to cast his yes vote. It makes death by hanging the default punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank convicted in military courts of deadly attacks of terrorism. Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Limor Son Har-Melech announced its passage.
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LIMOR SON HAR-MELECH: (Non-English language spoken).
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KAHN: "The people of Israel are alive," she said, invoking a popular phrase of Jewish Israeli resilience. As lawmakers celebrated, shaking bottles of champagne, she and other members of Israel's far-right government wore lapel pins with tiny nooses. The legislation had been widely criticized by European leaders and Israel's own security apparatus, foreign ministry and human rights groups. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says the bill violates international law and will not deter Palestinians' legitimate struggle for freedom. Israeli far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has long fought for the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, which he says is a vital deterrent.
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ITAMAR BEN-GVIR: (Non-English language spoken).
KAHN: "From today, every terrorist in the whole world will know that whoever takes a life, the state of Israel will take their life," he said. Noa Sattath heads Israel's leading civil rights organization, which has already challenged the bill in Israel's Supreme Court.
NOA SATTATH: It is quite shocking to see the openness and the glee in the celebration of death that the government is promoting through this law.
KAHN: She says after decades of opposition within Israel, politics came first. Without Netanyahu's backing, far-right lawmakers threatened to dissolve his coalition government. Specific wording in the bill would make it nearly impossible for Jewish extremists convicted of similar crimes to be sentenced to death. The last time Israel carried out the death penalty was 1962, when Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was executed by hanging.
Carrie Kahn, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
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