Tel Aviv, March 31 (UNI) Israel's parliament, the Knesset, has passed a controversial bill mandating the death penalty for West Bank Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in "acts of terror".
Under the law, death by hanging will be the default sentence for West Bank residents found guilty of deadly terrorist acts in military courts. Judges may impose life imprisonment only under vaguely defined "special circumstances," The Times of Israel reported.
As per law, executions are to be carried out within 90 days of sentencing, with a possible extension of up to 180 days.
The bill was approved on Monday in the 120-seat Knesset with 62 voted in favour, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 48 against it, with one abstention.
The legislation was led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Following the vote, Ben Gvir celebrated publicly and posted online: "We made history!!! We promised. We delivered."
But the bill is being condemned widely and labelled as "discriminatory." European nations, human rights groups, and the Palestinian Authority criticised the legislation for creating two separate legal systems.
Palestinians in the West Bank are tried in military courts under the mandatory death penalty, while Israeli citizens, including Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, are tried in civilian courts under laws that largely exclude Jewish perpetrators from similar sentences.
The bill is being challenged by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel in the Supreme Court with an argument that it violates constitutional and jurisdictional principles and establishes unequal treatment based on nationality.
Supporters of the bill cited personal experiences with attacks, highlighting a desire to break the "cycle of terror" between Israelis and Palestinians.
The UK, France, Germany and Italy expressed their "deep concern", saying that the bill risked "undermining Israel's commitments with regard to democratic principles".
The Hamas that controls Gaza said in a statement on Monday evening that the approval of the bill "threatens the lives" of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and called on the international community to "ensure the protection of our prisoners".
Amnesty International and several European countries, including Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, expressed "deep concern," warning that the law could undermine Israel's democratic commitments.
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