The Israeli Knesset has advanced two bills authorizing the death penalty for Palestinian detainees accused of killing Israeli citizens under what the proposed law defines as “racist or hateful motives.”
Passed in their first reading on November 10, 2025, the bills reflect a coordinated push by far-right and opposition factions to institutionalize capital punishment against Palestinians, marking a significant escalation in punitive legislation targeting the Palestinian national movement.
The first bill was introduced by Limor Son Har-Melech of the far-right “Jewish Power” (Otzma Yehudit) party and passed with 36 votes in favor and 15 against.
A second, nearly identical bill was proposed by Oded Forer of the opposition party “Yisrael Beiteinu,” (Israel Our Home) passing with 37 votes to 14.
Both bills were strategically placed at the end of the Knesset’s agenda, reportedly to allow members of the centrist Yesh Atid party to exit the chamber before voting.
The legislation was then referred to the Knesset’s National Security Committee, chaired by a member of Jewish Power under the leadership of Itamar Ben-Gvir, to prepare final drafts for second and third readings.
The proposed law stipulates that the death penalty would apply to anyone who “intentionally or through negligence causes the death of an Israeli citizen out of racist or hateful motives and with intent to harm Israel.”
Critics argue that the law is designed to apply exclusively to Palestinians and not to Israeli citizens who commit similar acts against Palestinians.
The legislation is part of the coalition agreements signed in late 2022 between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power, which included commitments to advance capital punishment for Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu has officially supported the bill, and according to Israeli media, the government’s “coordinator for hostages and missing persons,” Gal Hirsch, reversed his earlier opposition to the bill, stating that the return of living hostages from Gaza had removed previous concerns about endangering captives.
The bill has drawn sharp criticism from Israeli opposition figures and legal experts. MK Gilad Kariv warned that the law could increase the risk of retaliatory attacks, while opposition leader Yair Lapid refused to support what he called “political theater” by Otzma Yehudit.
Arab MK Ahmad Tibi was forcibly removed from the plenum during the debate after denouncing the bill as discriminatory and inflammatory.
Palestinian NGO, Ad-Dameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society warned that the law could pave the way for extrajudicial executions and deepen the already dire conditions faced by Palestinian detainees.
As of November 2025, Israel holds approximately 9,250 Palestinian detainees, including 3,368 administrative detainees without charge or trial, 350 children, and 49 women.
The death penalty bill has been proposed multiple times in the past, most recently in 2022 when Ben-Gvir reintroduced it with amendments.
It passed a preliminary reading in March 2023 but stalled amid legal and political challenges. The current iteration, now approved in its first reading, can be advanced in future Knesset sessions even if not finalized during the current term.
Under Israeli law, legislation must pass three readings in the Knesset to become law. After the first reading, bills are referred to a specialized committee for revisions before returning for second and third readings. Upon final approval, the law is published in the official records and enters into force.
The advancement of these bills underscores the growing influence of extremist, far-right factions within Israel’s political system and the erosion of legal protections for Palestinian political prisoners.
Rights advocates have called on international bodies to intervene, warning that the legislation constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law and could inflame tensions across the region.
