Petition: 1200 Former Israeli Officials Call to Reject Law Imposing Death Penalty on Palestinian Prisoners

SadaNews - A petition against a draft law imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners was published in Israeli newspapers today, Tuesday, and signed by 1,200 individuals, including former officials such as judges from the Supreme Court, Nobel Prize winners, former heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad, academics, university presidents, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army Dan Halutz, Moshe Ya'alon, and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The petition states: "We, the undersigned, strongly oppose the draft law on the death penalty currently being discussed in the Knesset in preparation for the second and third readings, and we call on Knesset members to reject it."

The petition adds that "resuming the use of the death penalty imposes a moral stigma on Israel and contradicts its identity as a Jewish and democratic state. The death penalty is not suitable for a state committed to human rights and the essence of a human being as a creature created in the image of God. The death penalty is an extreme and absolute measure, and its primary justification that it deters murderers is not supported by scientific research."

The petition continues, stating that "over the years, and even recently, security authorities have expressed the position that resuming the death penalty does not deter terrorist operations but may encourage them. Furthermore, the finality of the death penalty does not allow for correction in the event of an error, and errors do occur, particularly in procedures resulting in execution, and certainly in security matters that involve reduced procedural safeguards. The possibility of executing an innocent person is particularly chilling."

The petition points out that the proposed law, initiated by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, includes extreme and unusual provisions. "It distinguishes between blood and blood and effectively states that the penalty will be imposed only on Palestinians who have killed Israelis and not on others who commit offenses of similar severity. It also stipulates that the death penalty is mandatory for Palestinians tried in military courts in the (occupied) territories, removing the weight of the prosecution and judicial opinion and stripping away any possibility of leniency or sentence mitigation."

The petition states that "Israel abolished the death penalty for murderers shortly after the establishment of the state and was a beacon for others in this regard. Since then, all democratic countries in the world have abolished this penalty and opposed it. Resuming the death penalty would contradict not only clear global trends but also many commitments made by the State of Israel under international law. Approving the law would isolate Israel from the community of enlightened nations, which have committed not to reinstate this shocking penalty into effect."