PACE committee raises alarm over proposed expansion of death penalty in Israel

BIRMINGHAM, England

A committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed “deep concern” over legislative proposals in the Israeli Knesset that would expand the use of the death penalty, including in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

According to a report by Dutch parliamentarian Gala Veldhoen, the bills would allow military and civil courts to impose mandatory death sentences for certain killings, potentially affecting Palestinians disproportionately.

In a statement released on Wednesday, PACE’s Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights said such measures would “represent a clear setback in Israel’s long-standing stance on the use of the death penalty and a violation of its obligations under international human rights law.”

On Wednesday, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, recorded a video in front of gallows at a Jerusalem museum, warning that “terrorists” could face the death penalty. He is spearheading efforts to broaden the legal grounds for execution, a move that human rights groups say is discriminatory and risks targeting Palestinians disproportionately.

Israel has not executed anyone since 1962; however, a bill championed by Ben-Gvir and the Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party passed its first reading in the Knesset in November 2025 by a vote of 39 to 16.

Critics, including Amnesty International, UN special rapporteurs, and European lawmakers, have called for the withdrawal of the proposals, highlighting concerns over fair trial safeguards, secrecy in execution procedures, and discriminatory application.

The bills are currently pending further votes in the Knesset, and PACE said it will debate the full report during its spring session in Strasbourg.