The Knesset approved a controversial law Monday night allowing for the death penalty for terrorists, passing in second and third readings.
Prime Minister Netanyahu voted in favor, along with members of Yisrael Beyteinu. MK Benny Gantz and members of Degel Hatorah voted against. MK Avi Maoz was absent.
The law shifts the death penalty from a rarely used option to a practical sentencing tool, with key distinctions between regions.
In Judea and Samaria, the death penalty will become the default punishment for murder carried out under terrorist circumstances. Courts will no longer require unanimous approval to impose the sentence, and there will be no option for pardon or commutation.
Within the Green Line, courts may impose either the death penalty or life imprisonment for those who intentionally kill with the aim of harming the state.
The defense minister will determine whether suspects from Judea and Samaria are tried in military or civilian courts. Those sentenced to death will be held separately, with execution carried out within 90 days following an automatic appeal.
Under current law, military courts technically allow the death penalty but require unanimous judicial approval and have never carried out such a sentence.
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8 Responses
Mazal Tov! This will drastically save lives & taxpayers. Ie: Hostage taking/pidyon shvuyim costs and imprisonment costs.
Can we make Shehecheyanu?
Unfortunately, this law does not go far enough. If the purpose of the law is to prevent kidnappings then it must apply to anyone arrested with any affiliation with any terror organization that is known to kidnap civilians like Hamas. Currently, it only applies to terrorists who kill someone. What will end up happening is that Israel will continue to jail thousands of people for whom Hamas will be driven to kidnap civilians. It needs to be applied the way the British dealt with pirates in the Bahamas in the prior century. Anyone who had any association with pirates was hung. Same thing needs to happen here and kidnappings will be a thing of the past.
But will the Supreme Court or Attorney General allow it?
It’s about time.
If this is meant to prevent hostage taking there is a much easier and effective solution, one that should have been implemented long ago. And that is to rearrest terrorists after the hostages have been released. Not only will this render taking hostages ineffective, it also makes no sense to allow somebody who already killed to remain free to kill again. A deal to abide by the terms of a kidnapping, which is a form of extortion, is not legally binding.. If the mafia in Israel would try getting one of their own released by taking a police officer hostage they would take the criminals back into custody as soon as they released their hostage. So why do they feel obliged to honor a deal with Hamas they would never consider honoring if it was with the Israeli mafia.
This is a stupid idea, and unanimously opposed by da’as Torah.
If I’m not mistaken, Degel Hatorah voted yes, and Agudas Yisrael voted no.
I don’t know how anyone can oppose this wonderful piece of legislation.
To bais is the place
When these released murderering terrorist get released by the bus loads after murdering Jews and DO IT AGAIN. Rabbi Avigdor Miller Ztl supported capital punishment. Dont flash daas Torah. When your family member will get killed by these released terrorist will you scream daas Torah. Chutzpah you have over making Jewish blood cheap. Every Arab country has the death penalty for murder. Even American normal non lefty states as well. This sick left liberalistic thinking has affected some askonim as they cozy up to the atheistic movements both in Israel and America. They think they can scratch a few bucks from these Torah haters. You see it all the time. Last I was in Israel I saw some of these askonim with hanging peyos and official ID hanging around their necks pushing away Chareidim and others protesting the reform women of the wall at the kosel. The same fools tricked Boro park voters into electing a super lefty By putting out stickers vote for the Mentch. And so many cars in Boro park had this vote for the Mentch bumper stickers on their cars. Today he is more powerful and his true lefty colors came out. You all scream about Neturei karta which has no power to effect Israel in any way but these lefty liberal politicians along with the fake askonim do have the power to cause widespread antisemitism as they work to elect anti Torah candidates. It’s time to wake up.