Israeli parliament to vote on death penalty bill
Voting to advance the legislation that critics say targets convicted Palestinians will take place on Wednesday.
Palestinian protesters confront Israeli security forces in a demonstration against US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, near Beit El Checkpoint in Ramallah, West Bank on December 13, 2017.
Israel’s parliament is set to vote on a draft bill that would impose the death penalty on 'terrorists' "involved in operations against Israeli targets," the country’s defence minister said on Monday.
"The US also has such legislation. Thus, it’s appropriate for Israel to follow such a powerful democratic system in the world,” Avigdor Lieberman said.
"Every convicted terrorist is used by terrorist organisations kidnapping civilians and soldiers for prisoner swaps," the defence minister added.
The draft bill needs to be voted on in three rounds in order to be approved by parliament.
Israel's military law already permits the death penalty for someone convicted of a 'terrorist' murder if the Judges' decision is unanimous.
As Haaretz reports, the bill under consideration would allow the death sentence to be imposed by a majority of the judges, and to allow criminal courts to sentence convicted 'terrorists' to death.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this year that it is time to impose the death penalty in non-military courts.
"The death penalty for terrorists – it's time to implement it in severe cases," he said in a video posted in July on his Twitter account.
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