The Israeli Knesset on Monday passed a death penalty law targeting Palestinians, in a move condemned by human rights organisations.
The legislation establishes two separate pathways for the death penalty based on national identity. The law makes the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank who are tried in military courts.
”This law institutionalizes the state-sanctioned, cold-blooded killing of individuals who pose no threat whatsoever,” Suhad Bishara, legal director at Adalah, a Palestinian-run legal centre, said in a statement.
“By design, this legislation exclusively targets Palestinians, violating the fundamental principle of equality and prohibition on racial discrimination,” Bishara added.
Adalah plans to petition the Supreme Court against the law.