Kamal Ghorui
Israel’s parliament passed a controversial law allowing the execution of Palestinians and also approved a key national budget, helping Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu avoid early elections, amid the ongoing war with Iran.Lawmakers voted 62–48 to approve a bill that would allow the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks labelled as terrorism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the bill, which was led by far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir. After the vote, Ben Gvir posted, “We made history!!! We promised. We delivered.”The law makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank found guilty of carrying out deadly attacks. It allows courts to reduce the sentence to life imprisonment under “special circumstances”. The bill also sets hanging as the method of execution, to be carried out within 90 days of sentencing, with a possible delay of up to 180 days.Palestinians in the West Bank are tried in Israeli military courts, while Israeli citizens, including Palestinians in East Jerusalem, are tried in civilian courts. Rights groups such as The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said this creates unequal legal tracks. A petition has already been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the law. The Palestinian Authority rejected the law, saying Israel has “no sovereignty over Palestinian land”. “This law once again reveals the nature of the Israeli colonial system, which seeks to legitimise extrajudicial killing under legislative cover,” it added. Meanwhile, Hamas said it reflects an approach based on “killing and terrorism”.The United States said Monday it respected Israel’s right to set its own laws after the move. “The United States respects Israel’s sovereign right to determine its own laws and penalties for individuals convicted of terrorism,” a State Department spokesperson said.European countries, however, reacted sharply. Britain, France, Germany and Italy expressed “deep concern”, warning that the move risked “undermining Israel’s commitments with regards to democratic principles.”Israel has not carried out a judicial execution since 1962, when it hanged Nazi Adolf Eichmann, a key perpetrator of the Holocaust.
Early elections averted
The Knesset also approved Israel’s 2026 state budget, helping Netanyahu’s government avoid early elections. The 699-billion shekel budget, which includes an additional 32 billion shekels for defence, comes as Israel remains involved in multiple conflicts, including its war with Iran alongside the United States and fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon.Failing to pass the budget could have triggered elections within 90 days, with reports suggesting Netanyahu might lose. The approval now gives temporary stability to the government and financial markets, which had been running on a provisional budget since the start of the year.
