AJC Statement on Israel Death Penalty Legislation

The death penalty is among the most serious issues any democracy can confront. Israelis, facing deadly terrorism, feel a deep desire for justice and accountability-sentiments shared by other democratic societies.

That is precisely why the terrorists death penalty legislation recently passed by the Knesset is so troubling. Rather than advancing a serious and responsible policy debate, the bill appears designed primarily for political provocation. And it has succeeded: public attention has shifted almost entirely to the law's discriminatory character, rather than to the complex moral and legal issues at stake. The legislation is widely expected to be struck down by Israel's Supreme Court, underscoring the essential role of democratic checks and balances.

Further, the public glorification of death by some members of the Knesset wearing gold noose pins is morally repugnant and fundamentally at odds with Jewish and Israeli values. AJC joins broad swaths of Israeli society in condemning this behavior.