Israel’s far-right government is pushing a dangerous and discriminatory death penalty bill — one that targets Palestinians and weakens already-flawed military court protections in the occupied West Bank.

This bill, championed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, just cleared its first vote in the Knesset.

If passed, it would allow Israeli military courts to sentence people to death by a simple majority — instead of a unanimous vote — for so-called “nationalistic” crimes. It also eliminates any consideration of extenuating circumstances during sentencing.

But here’s the truth: these military courts apply only to Palestinians living under occupation. Israeli settlers living in the same territory are tried under civilian law — which does not include the death penalty.

This is not justice. It’s apartheid justice.

International law has long condemned Israel’s military court system for its lack of due process and independence. UN experts have called out the “systematic violation of Palestinians’ rights” and the absence of fair trials. Now, this bill proposes to make the system even harsher — and potentially irreversible.

It would be the first time in decades that Israel returns to executing prisoners. The last person executed in Israel was Adolf Eichmann in 1962 — a convicted Nazi war criminal. This bill would put Palestinians at risk of execution based on a lower legal threshold and under a dual legal system.

We call on the Israeli Knesset and Prime Minister Netanyahu to immediately withdraw this discriminatory bill.

Palestinians deserve equal rights, equal trials, and equal protection under the law. This bill takes Israel further down a path of injustice and deepens the legal apartheid system already in place.

Sign now to demand the death penalty bill be stopped — before it becomes law.