Israel faces backlash over apartheid law

Amnesty, UN, OIC slam Israeli law permitting execution of Palestinian prisoners

A new Israeli law that would allow the execution of Palestinians convicted on terror charges for deadly attacks, but not Jewish extremists accused of similar crimes, would constitute a war crime if enacted, according to one of the UN's most senior human rights officials.

Speaking amid mounting international condemnation of the bill, the UN's high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, described the law as "patently inconsistent with Israel's international law obligations, including in relation to the right to life". He added that it "raises serious concerns about due process violations, is deeply discriminatory, and must be promptly repealed".

"Its application in a discriminatory manner would constitute an additional, particularly egregious violation of international law. Its application to residents of the occupied Palestinian territory would constitute a war crime," Türk said.

The legislation, passed on Monday by the Israeli Knesset, has faced a wave of criticism, including from European leaders and human rights groups.

"The death penalty bill in Israel is very concerning to us in the EU," the EU spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said in Brussels. "This is a clear step backwards – the introduction of the death penalty, together with the discriminatory nature of the law."

The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, wrote on X: "It is an asymmetric measure that would not apply to Israelis who committed the same crimes. Same crime, different punishment. That is not justice. It is a step closer to apartheid."

Germany, traditionally one of Israel's closest allies in Europe, said it could not endorse the law. "The German government views the law passed yesterday with great concern," the government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said in a statement.

"The rejection of the death penalty is a fundamental principle of German policy," Kornelius said, adding: "Such a law would likely apply exclusively to Palestinians in the Palestinian territories."

In a statement issued from Jeddah, the OIC general secretariat said the legislation "grants a licence for murder and political execution against the Palestinian people", warning that it contravened international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Amnesty International said the Israeli authorities must urgently repeal the legislative amendments expanding Israel's use of the death penalty, adopted with support from 62 Knesset members.

"Israel's parliament adopted the first in a series of laws facilitating the death penalty, showing cruelty, discrimination and contempt for human rights," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International senior director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns.

She noted that military courts, "with conviction rates over 99% for Palestinian defendants, can impose almost mandatory death sentences within 90 days, removing basic fair-trial safeguards".

"This law comes the same month the Israeli military dropped all charges against soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee, a move celebrated by the prime minister," she added.

The UN strongly opposed the new Israeli law, calling it "particularly cruel and discriminatory."

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at a news conference that the UN and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had a "very clear" stance on Israel's legislation imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners.

"We stand against the death penalty in all its forms," he said, adding that "the nature of this particular law makes it particularly cruel and discriminatory."