The German Foreign Office still hopes that the joint appeal against Israel’s plans to expand the death penalty will bear fruit.
In internal discussions the federal government’s position was also conveyed, said a spokeswoman of the Foreign Office to the dts news agency on Monday. Germany’s stance is a core concern: “Germany rejects the death penalty under all circumstances”. She declined to comment on potential consequences that Israel might face if the law is adopted. “Our goal is to influence it. We are trying to influence it. The final decision is, of course, not in our hands”. Nonetheless, the position is deeply fundamental.
The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom urged Israeli decision‑makers in the Knesset and the government the day before to abandon the plans. A joint statement expressed particular worry about “the factually discriminatory character of the draft bill” and warned that its passage would endanger Israel’s commitments to democratic principles.
According to the draft, the law could take effect as early as next week. It would apply to crimes classified as terrorist acts in which a person is intentionally killed. For the West Bank, the proposal explicitly excludes Israeli citizens-whether soldiers or settlers-from death‑penalty jurisdiction.