1,200 Israeli figures denounce Palestinian death penalty bill as 'moral stain'

2026-02-17 - 12:15

Approximately 1,200 prominent Israeli public figures have signed a statement opposing proposed legislation that would impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners, describing the bill as a "moral stain" that contradicts Israel's character. The signatories include Nobel Prize laureates, former senior military officials, ex-Mossad and Shin Bet chiefs, retired Supreme Court justices, and hundreds of academics, according to Israeli news website Walla. Elite Opposition The statement warns that "renewing the use of the death penalty would cast a moral stain on Israel and contradict its identity as a Jewish state." Signatories include Nobel chemistry laureates Ada Yonath, Aharon Ciechanover, Avram Hershko, and Dan Shechtman; former Supreme Court justices Meni Mazuz, Yoram Danziger, Anat Baron, and George Kara; former Shin Bet chiefs Ami Ayalon and Carmi Gillon; ex-Mossad head Tamir Pardo; former army chiefs Dan Halutz and Moshe Ya'alon; and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Discriminatory Legislation The bill, proposed by far-right Otzma Yehudit party leader and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, would impose capital punishment on Palestinians convicted of killing or participating in killings of Israelis—while not applying the same law to Israelis convicted of killing Palestinians. The Knesset approved the first reading in November; second and third readings are required for passage. If enacted, executions would be by lethal injection within 90 days of court decision. Growing Opposition The widespread opposition from Israel's elite joins earlier warnings from legal and security officials that the bill violates international law and carries grave diplomatic consequences. Over 9,300 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in Israeli prisons.