Israeli rights group challenges controversial death penalty law

Israeli death penalty law challenge filed at Supreme Court as rights group contests new legislation allowing execution of convicted attackers

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel on Monday filed a petition before Israel’s Supreme Court challenging a newly approved law permitting the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks.

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The petition was lodged shortly after the Knesset passed the legislation, formally known as the Death Penalty for Terrorists Law, in a move that has already sparked legal and political controversy.

In a statement, the rights group said the Israeli death penalty law challenge was based on two principal grounds, including questions over jurisdiction and constitutional protections.

“First, the Knesset has no authority to legislate for the West Bank. Israel holds no sovereignty there,” the organisation stated, referring to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory.

The group further argued that the law violates fundamental rights enshrined in Israel’s Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty.

“Second, the law is unconstitutional. It violates the right to life, human dignity, due process, and equality,” it said.

The legislation, approved earlier in the day by Israeli lawmakers, would allow courts to impose the death penalty on individuals convicted of certain acts classified as terrorism, marking a significant and controversial shift in the country’s legal framework.

Legal analysts say the Supreme Court’s response to the petition could prove decisive in determining the future of the law, as well as its compatibility with Israel’s constitutional principles and international legal obligations.

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The case is expected to intensify debate over security policy, human rights, and the limits of legislative authority in territories under Israeli control.

Quadri Olaitan