Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said Monday that his country would join a joint statement by Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom expressing deep concern over the law, which would “significantly expand the options for imposing the death penalty in Israel,” Politico reports.
The death penalty in Israel exists only in exceptional cases, such as war crimes or crimes against the Jewish people, and was last carried out on German Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962.
Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, right-wing and far-right lawmakers are pushing a proposal to expand the death penalty. According to Israeli media, the current bill would require courts to impose the death penalty for nationalistically motivated killings of Israelis.
Relations between the EU and Israel have gradually deteriorated since 2023, as Israel’s military response in Gaza has drawn increasing condemnation from European governments for its scale and humanitarian impact.
A European statement warned that passing the law “could jeopardize Israel’s commitments to democratic principles.” EU leaders have called on Israeli lawmakers and the government to drop the proposal ahead of an expected Knesset vote this week.
Israel, however, dismissed the criticism.
– The proposed law is limited in scope and aligned with the accepted principles governing the application of the death penalty, similar to the framework in the United States – the statement of the Israeli mission to the EU and NATO states.
It added that “the law remains subject to the possibility of a presidential pardon, retains judicial discretion and does not provide for automatic sentencing. It provides for the right to appeal the verdict and gives the political leadership the ability to suspend execution.”
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
