Muslim-majority nations slam Israel’s death penalty law
Eight Muslim-majority countries have “strongly condemned” Israel’s move to introduce a law imposing the death penalty by suspending the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks in military courts.
The law, passed by the Israeli parliament on Monday, will apply to Israelis convicted of murder whose attacks were aimed at “ending Israel’s existence”, meaning the law would impose the death penalty on Palestinians but not on Israeli Jews who have committed similar crimes.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the law as a violation of international law and a failed attempt to intimidate Palestinians.
In a joint statement published by Pakistan on Thursday, it was stated that Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said that the law constituted a “dangerous escalation” and emphasized the “urgent need to avoid measures” that risk further increasing tensions on the ground.
“The importance of ensuring accountability was emphasized and called for strengthening international efforts to maintain stability and prevent further deterioration,” the statement said.
The Taliban government in neighboring Afghanistan also described the law as a “continuation of repression” and called on “international organizations and influential countries to take urgent and practical steps to prevent such actions.”
The law has faced similar criticism from Israel’s Western allies at a time when Israel is already under scrutiny for increasing violence against Palestinians by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.
The European Union and Germany expressed their concerns about this move, which Canada also opposed.
Supporters of the law argue that the death penalty would deter Palestinians from carrying out deadly attacks against Israelis or attempting kidnappings to influence exchange deals for Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons.
According to reports in the Israeli media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested that some elements of the law be softened in order to prevent reactions.
