Knesset Passes Death Penalty Law for Terrorists With Netanyahu’s Support; Lapid Calls It ‘Distorted PR Maneuver’ By The Media Line Staff Israel’s parliament on Monday approved a law imposing the death penalty on terrorists who intentionally cause a person’s death in an act of terrorism, passing the measure in a 62-48 vote in the Knesset plenum amid […]
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The Media Line: Knesset Passes Death Penalty Law for Terrorists With Netanyahu’s Support; Lapid Calls It ‘Distorted PR Maneuver’
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Knesset Passes Death Penalty Law for Terrorists With Netanyahu’s Support; Lapid Calls It ‘Distorted PR Maneuver’
By The Media Line Staff
Israel’s parliament on Monday approved a law imposing the death penalty on terrorists who intentionally cause a person’s death in an act of terrorism, passing the measure in a 62-48 vote in the Knesset plenum amid political divisions and international pressure.
The legislation, approved for second and third readings on March 30, 2026, stipulates that “a terrorist who intentionally caused the death of a person as part of a terrorist act – his sentence is death.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in favor of the law despite expectations of a majority without his support. The opposition party Israel Beiteinu backed the measure, while United Torah Judaism, a coalition member, voted against it. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, one of the bill’s initiators, said after the vote, “We are making history.”
The law defines the punishment as mandatory in certain cases and removes the requirement for a unanimous decision by a panel of judges. It also states that executions will be carried out by hanging by the Israel Prison Service within a defined period of up to 90 days, with no possibility of pardon.
Officials said the law remains subject to judicial review by the High Court of Justice.
Legal experts cited potential constitutional challenges, including the mandatory nature of the death penalty and provisions barring clemency, as well as differences in legal frameworks between Israeli citizens and cases in the West Bank.
Opposition Yair Lapid denounced the move: “This law will not lead to a single execution. Not in Gaza, not in Judea and Samaria, not of terrorists, and not of anyone else. It is deliberately written without filters and without balances, for one purpose only: to ensure that it will be struck down.”
N12 reported that senior European officials were holding urgent talks with Israeli counterparts to halt the legislation, with warnings of sanctions and the possible suspension of trade agreements, technological and scientific cooperation, and political dialogue.