What's happened
Israel's Knesset approved a law making death by hanging the default for Palestinians accused of killing Israelis, excluding Jewish citizens. The law has been condemned internationally as discriminatory and a violation of human rights, with critics describing it as institutionalising apartheid-like practices.
What's behind the headline?
The law formalises a two-tier justice system that discriminates based on ethnicity, effectively codifying a form of apartheid. It targets Palestinians in the West Bank, where conviction rates in military courts are nearly 100%, often based on confessions extracted under duress. The law's provisions for swift executions and limited legal safeguards eliminate any meaningful oversight, making it a tool for state-sanctioned killing rather than justice. The celebration by Israeli lawmakers, including the use of champagne by security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, underscores the normalization of dehumanisation. International criticism, including from the UN and human rights groups, highlights the law's breach of international law and its role in perpetuating systemic violence. The law's focus on group punishment and the exclusion of Jewish citizens from its scope reveal its racial and political motivations, further entrenching Israel's apartheid-like system. This legislation will likely deepen the cycle of violence and further isolate Israel on the global stage, while reinforcing the systemic oppression of Palestinians within occupied territories.
What the papers say
The New Arab reports that the law was celebrated by Israeli far-right members and condemned by the UN and Amnesty International as a war crime and an extreme form of discrimination. Al Jazeera highlights the law's role in normalising an apartheid system, with critics pointing out its discriminatory application and the deepening dehumanisation of Palestinians. SBS notes the international criticism from countries like Australia and the UK, emphasizing the law's racial bias and the lack of legal protections for Palestinians. The Independent discusses the law's historical context, linking it to decades of Israeli policies that have marginalized Palestinians and institutionalised inequality, with experts warning it will entrench discrimination and violence.
How we got here
The law follows years of Israeli legislation that has systematically marginalized Palestinians, including the Nation-State Law of 2018 and other measures that reinforce a system of legal discrimination. It is part of a broader pattern of policies that dehumanise Palestinians and entrench occupation and inequality.
Go deeper
Common question
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Why Is Israel's New Death Law Considered Discriminatory?
Israel recently passed a controversial law that has sparked international debate. The law makes death by hanging the default punishment for Palestinians accused of killing Israelis, while excluding Jewish citizens from this punishment. Many critics see this as a clear example of racial discrimination and human rights violations. But what exactly makes this law so controversial? How does it compare to previous policies in Israel? And what are the broader implications for human rights and international law? Below, we explore these questions and more to help you understand the significance of this development.
More on these topics
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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The Knesset is the unicameral national legislature of Israel. As the legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister, approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government.
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The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs, are an ethnonational group comprising the modern descendants of the peoples who have lived in Palestine continuously over the centuries and who today are largely culturally and
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Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights.
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Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization with its headquarters in the United Kingdom focused on human rights. The organization says it has more than eight million members and supporters around the world.
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Itamar Ben-Gvir is an Israeli lawyer, and a leader in the Israeli far-right Otzma Yehudit party. He is known for defending Jewish radicals on trial in Israel. He has called for the expulsion of Arab citizens of Israel who are not loyal to Israel.