German politicians sharply condemned the Israeli parliament’s decision to reintroduce the death penalty, which would be applied more strictly in the occupied territories than in Israel itself. “I view the Knesset’s decision as unacceptable” said SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf in an interview with the “Tagesspiegel” on Wednesday. He added that a civilized rule‑of‑law nation has no place for capital punishment and that anyone who wishes to defend human dignity and the rule of law must not accept the death penalty, even against terrorists.
Adis Ahmetovic, the SPD’s foreign‑policy spokesman, told the newspaper that the move “contradicts fundamental principles of humanity, democratic rule of law, and international law”. He singled out the discriminatory extension targeted at Palestinians as especially problematic.
Jürgen Hardt of the CDU’s Union faction also spoke out. “The death penalty is an inhumane and degrading form of punishment with no deterrent effect” he told the “Tagesspiegel”. “Israel’s security will not be enhanced by it”. Hardt went on to say that the proposal’s specific design raises deep concerns and that its fundamentally discriminatory character will fuel international criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
Criticism also came from opposition parties. Green Party MP Max Lucks warned that the right‑wing majority in the Knesset, by implementing the death penalty for Palestinians, would seriously damage Franco‑Israeli relations and described the measure as a “inhuman decision”.
Jan van Aken, chairman of the Left Party, expressed to the “Tagesspiegel” his fear for Israel’s democracy. “Even the most brutal crimes do not justify the death penalty and are not a reason to become inhumane ourselves”.
