After Deadly Terror Attack, Death Penalty for Terrorists Passes First Hurdle

By Matis Glenn

In the wake of Sunday’s horrific terror attack, which left two yeshiva students dead, a bill to levy capital punishment on terrorists passed the Knesset’s Ministerial Legislative Affairs Committee, according to Channel 14.

The law, promised by right-wing members of the government, would apply to terrorists who murder Israelis for political or religious reasons. The draft was set to be taken off the day’s agenda, but after the terror attack, it was put back on the schedule.

Following Sunday’s decision by the committee, members of the Cabinet will meet to discuss the language of the law before it can proceed through the system and ultimately be voted on in the Knesset.

 Israel’s Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara is expected to oppose the bill, according to Ynet. She has said previously that Western countries, except for the United States, have abandoned the death penalty, and that “even there, many states have started to do away with capital punishment, and today, only 31 states still have it…seven have abolished it in the past decade.”

Israel has only carried out the death penalty once in its history, when the state executed Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann, in 1962. Only people found guilty of Holocaust-related crimes are eligible for capital punishment under the current law.

Allowing convicted terrorists to be executed was part of the agreement Otzma Yehudit made with Likud to join the coalition.

Minister of National Security and Otzma Yehudit firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir, who made the law a staple of his party’s campaign, said that “on this difficult day when two Israeli civilians were murdered in a Palestinian terrorist attack, there is nothing more symbolic than the passage of the death penalty law for terrorists. This is a moral, fair law that also exists in the largest democracy in the world and certainly in a country where a wave of terrorism is hitting the citizens of the country.”

Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said that “It’s simple that one who kills and laughs about it, should not be able to live out his life in jail, but should be taken out to death.”

On social media, Netanyahu said, “We are working against terrorism by all means – in operational operations, in thwarting terrorist attacks, in passing a law to deport families of terrorists and today in a law on the death penalty for terrorists. Our answer to terrorism is to strike terror hard and strengthen our grip on our country.”

Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot told Channel 14 “I can say that we will not go over this in silence. Whatever it was, it will not be. Considerations that we will maintain good relations with Mahmoud Abbas are not illegitimate, in my view, in the current government.”

Visiting the scene of Sunday’s shooting, Sukkot said “I turned to the defense minister to understand why they didn’t put checkpoints here – I hope it has nothing to do with the summit in Aqaba.” He added: “Since last week we have heard the lion’s den calling for revenge, and yet no roadblocks have been deployed. Jews cannot be murdered to make the Arabs more comfortable.”

Meanwhile, the government reacted to the shooting with plans of reinforcing security. Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant held a situation assessment with military officials, including Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and army generals, following the shooting. Galant directed the security forces to focus operational and intelligence efforts to capture the terrorists, while taking any necessary action, including offensive actions. Gallant also approved the reinforcement of IDF forces in Yehudah and Shomron.

Following an IDF situational assessment, it was decided to reinforce the Judea and Samaria Division with two additional battalions.

Furthermore, as part of the expanding security activity in the city of Nablus, it was decided to increase the security checks on routes leading in and out of the city.

IDF, Israel Police and Israel Border Police forces are currently operating in the Shomron Regional Brigade.