The Knesset voted 39-16 in favor of the first reading of a government-backed bill that would impose the death penalty on terrorists convicted of murdering Israelis.

Two similar proposals — one by Likud MK Nissim Vaturi and another by Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer — also passed their first readings, 36-15 and 37-14, respectively.

The bill, sponsored by Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, mandates that Israeli courts must sentence to death anyone who carries out a nationalistically motivated murder of an Israeli citizen. It also allows military court judges in Judea and Samaria to hand down such sentences with a simple majority rather than a unanimous ruling, and removes the authority of regional military commanders to commute the punishment.

According to the proposal, it would apply to those who kill Israelis due to “racism” or “with the aim of harming the State of Israel and the revival of the Jewish people in its land.”

Except for Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu — which voted in favor — the opposition largely boycotted the vote, with Blue and White and nearly all of Yesh Atid’s MKs absent. Within the coalition, Degel HaTorah of United Torah Judaism announced it would oppose the bill.

Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir began handing out “baklavas” in the Knesset moments after the vote, before ushers intervened and confiscated them. The distribution of baklavas is a gesture often seen in Palestinian celebrations following deadly terror attacks, symbolizing rejoicing over violence against Israelis.

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