Concern over Israel’s new death penalty law

Australia’s peak representative Jewish organisations have expressed deep concerns about Israel’s new death penalty law, saying it departs from Jewish legal tradition and applies discriminatory standards based on nationality.

Australia’s Special Envoy for International Human Rights Mark Dreyfus also expressed deep concern over the legislation.

The Death Penalty for Terrorists law, which passed the Knesset in a 62-48 vote last Monday, mandates death by hanging as the default punishment for terrorists in the West Bank convicted of deadly terrorist acts by military courts, with execution to be carried out within 90 days of sentencing.

The legislation was championed by far-right National Security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party.

In a statement last Thursday, Dreyfus said he was “deeply concerned” by the passage of the legislation.