The Israeli Knesset's General Assembly, on Monday evening, finally approved, in its second and third readings, a bill allowing the imposition of the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners accused by the occupation of carrying out operations. The approval came with a majority of 62 votes against 48 opposing members, in a legislative step described by human rights circles as a dangerous and unprecedented escalation in the Israeli legal system against Palestinians.
Following the vote, the Knesset halls witnessed a provocative scene that sparked a massive wave of anger, as National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir appeared celebrating with members of his 'Otzma Yehudit' party. Ben Gvir was seen waving a 'champagne' bottle, attempting to open it, while drawing attention by wearing a pin on his clothes designed in the shape of a hangman's noose, a clear symbolic reference to the purpose of the new law.
In his first official comment after the legislation's approval, Ben Gvir considered this step to be 'history-making' and a radical change in Israeli deterrence policy. He issued a direct threat to Palestinian families in the West Bank, affirming that the fate of anyone who participates in resisting the occupation would be 'execution by hanging,' emphasizing that his government would not back down from this path despite pressure.
Earlier, the Knesset's National Security Committee had paved the way for this decision by approving the draft law last Tuesday, before referring it for a final vote. The law, in essence, legislates systematic killing against Palestinian detainees, which places the lives of thousands of prisoners in immediate and imminent danger under Israeli legal cover.
Ben Gvir's behavior and the celebrations accompanying the law's approval sparked angry Palestinian reactions on social media platforms, where activists described the scene as 'criminal and devoid of humanity.' Tweeters considered that the celebration with alcohol coinciding with the legislation of taking lives reflects the extremist mentality currently managing the security and political establishment in the occupation state.
Human rights advocates warned that approximately ten thousand Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli prisons face a 'black day' in the history of the prisoner movement. Human rights sources confirmed that this law transforms a prisoner from a political detainee or a freedom fighter into a 'corpse awaiting execution,' thereby closing all doors of hope for their release in future exchange deals.
Palestinian bloggers described the decision as a 'full-fledged war crime' and a natural extension of the policy of killing and displacement adopted by the occupation since 1948. They pointed out that this legislation gives official legitimacy to liquidation operations that were previously carried out outside the law, warning of catastrophic repercussions on stability inside and outside prisons.
In the context of questioning the justifications for the decision, activists noted that the occupation has effectively practiced 'slow execution' against prisoners for many years. They cited the deaths of more than 100 prisoners due to policies of deliberate medical negligence, physical torture, and deprivation of food, asserting that the new law is merely an institutionalization of this already existing approach.
Palestinian circles rejected Israeli claims that the law would not be applied retroactively, considering it a form of media deception to absorb temporary international anger. They affirmed that the mere existence of a legal text permitting execution represents an existential threat to every Palestinian who falls into captivity, regardless of the timing of their arrest or the details of their trial.
Prisoners' families expressed their deep concern that prisons would turn into a 'guillotine' under the supervision of extremist ministers like Ben Gvir and Smotrich. The families appealed to the international community and humanitarian organizations to intervene immediately to stop this 'organized terrorism' that enjoys parliamentary and judicial cover within Israel, stressing that international silence encourages the occupation to go too far.
International activists criticized Ben Gvir's provocative scene, considering that celebrating death with champagne bottles reflects a resounding moral fall. They pointed out that these actions increase Israel's international isolation and reveal its true face to the world as a state practicing apartheid and systematic killing against an unarmed people demanding their rights.
Institutions concerned with prisoner affairs called for urgent official Palestinian action at the international level to prosecute occupation leaders in international courts. They considered that the approval of the death penalty law should be a turning point in dealing with the prisoner issue, by internationalizing the issue more broadly and imposing sanctions on the legislators who voted in favor of this law.
Observers warned that the implementation of this law would lead to an explosion of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, as the Palestinian people would not stand idly by while their children are executed. They affirmed that such laws would not break the will of resistance, but would rather increase the state of tension and direct confrontation with occupation forces at all points of contact.
Activists concluded their interactions by emphasizing that Palestinian prisoners are not just numbers in prison service records, but rather national symbols and stories of struggle that will not end with nooses. They stressed that the 'doors of life' that Ben Gvir is trying to close will remain open through the steadfastness of the prisoners and the determination of the Palestinian people to achieve their freedom and reclaim their land.
We have made history; from now on, every mother in the West Bank will know that if her son goes out to kill someone, his fate will be execution by hanging.
شارك برأيك
Ben Gvir Celebrates with 'Nooses and Champagne': Knesset Finally Approves Death Penalty Law for Palestinian Prisoners