The Foreign Ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom have issued a joint statement expressing alarm over a proposed bill in Israel that would expand the use of the death penalty.
The ministers warned that the legislation, which could be voted into law next week, risks undermining Israel’s democratic commitments.
“We are particularly worried about the de facto discriminatory character of the bill. The adoption of this bill would risk undermining Israel’s commitments with regard to democratic principles,” the statement read.
The ministers stressed that the death penalty is “an inhumane and degrading form of punishment without any deterring effect,” reiterating their opposition to capital punishment under any circumstances.
They urged Israeli lawmakers and government officials to abandon the plan, stressing that rejection of the death penalty is a fundamental value shared across Europe.
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has already passed the controversial bill instructing military courts to impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in acts of “terror,” while exempting Jewish Israelis convicted of killing Palestinians.
The law, approved by 62 lawmakers, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will take effect within 30 days.
The Palestinian Authority has condemned the measure as “a war crime against the Palestinian people,” saying it violated the Fourth Geneva Convention and its guarantees of fair trial protections. (Newswire)
