Death Penalty and Human Rights

Israel's Knesset approved the bill 62–47, mandating death by hanging for "Palestinian terrorists convicted of deadly acts of terrorism," a major change in a country that has applied the death penalty only once (to Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962) and where courts previously had limited latitude to impose it. The measure drew sharp criticism — EU High Representative Kaja Kallas called it a "grave regression" and warned of its "de facto discriminatory character," opposition leader Yair Lapid denounced it as a "law for public relations" that he says won't apply to Oct. 7 Hamas attackers and predicted it would be struck down, while Otzma Yehudit MK Tzvika Foghel defended it as part of a post–October 7 "offensive approach" and compared the punishment to that used for Nazis.