The German federal government has criticized the decision by Israel’s parliament to introduce a death penalty for terrorists. “Understandably Israel has taken a hard line against terrorism after 7 October. The law passed yesterday, however, raises great concern for the German government” said government spokesman Stefan Kornelius on Tuesday.
Germany’s policy explicitly rejects the death penalty. The government also worries that the new law would be applied only to Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories. “We regret the Knesset’s decision and cannot endorse it” Kornelius added.
Under the draft law, a person convicted of a terrorist‑motivated murder aimed at the destruction of the State of Israel can be sentenced-before civil courts-to either death or life imprisonment. Because of the ban on retroactive legislation, the new law cannot be applied to Hamas terrorists who participated in the massacre on 7 October 2023.