The German government has criticized the Israeli parliament’s decision to introduce a death penalty for terrorists. “Israel, understandably, has taken a hard line against terrorism following the events of October 7. The law passed yesterday, however, causes us considerable concern” said government spokesman Stefan Kornelius on Tuesday.
Kornelius emphasized that rejecting the death penalty is a fundamental feature of German policy. He added that the German government worries the new law would likely apply only to Palestinians in the occupied territories. “Because of that, we regret the Knesset’s decision and cannot support it” he said.
According to the bill, a person convicted in Israel of a terrorist‑motivated murder aimed at destroying the State of Israel could be punished either by death or by life imprisonment, pending the outcome of civil court proceedings. The legislation does not apply retroactively, so it cannot be used against Hamas members who participated in the October 7 massacre.
