Gideon Levy: Ben Gvir seeks to turn the execution of Palestinians into a public celebratory event

SadaNews - Writer Gideon Levy addressed the rising extremist rhetoric within the Israeli government regarding the implementation of the death penalty against Palestinians, forecasting that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir will seek to turn executions into public ceremonies with a mass appeal to boost his political popularity.

In his column in Haaretz, the writer noted that, despite the proposal from the head of the Knesset National Security Committee, Zvika Foghel, to carry out executions via lethal injection, Ben Gvir will push for public hangings in public squares, arguing that this option carries greater symbolic and political value for the far-right movement.

Reports indicated that an Israeli delegation is set to visit countries that implement the death penalty to study various execution methods, with expectations that the delegation will include religious, security, and professional figures related to the matter, noting that only 23 countries in the world still apply the death penalty, according to the writer.

The writer reviewed the experiences of several countries, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Syria, where the Israeli spy Eli Cohen was hanged in 1965 in Marja Square in Damascus, and his body remained swinging in the air for six hours to allow the public to pass by.

However, the writer believes that Israel is heading towards a more stringent, swift, and execution-oriented model, without appeal or review, with a clear vindictive impulse, because when "the 'terrorists' are hanged, including 'anyone who kills a Jew because he is a Jew,' six hours will not suffice, as the important thing is for the people of Israel to see the scene and enjoy it," Levy states.

Levy's article warns of the potential for turning executions into a celebratory event attended by thousands of Israelis, with participation from families and settlers, considering it a national occasion that could even be integrated into Independence Day or Purim celebrations, where parents will bring their children, and grandparents will bring their grandchildren, while settlers announce a temporary halt to acts of violence so as not to miss an opportunity to stand proudly and express their "Israeli pride."

The writer concluded that the draft law does not pertain to security as much as it reflects an escalation in extremism and vengeful nationalism, transforming punishment into a collective spectacle exploited for political and populist gains, which signals a further deterioration in moral and legal standards within Israel.

Source: Haaretz