Knesset committee sends terrorist death penalty bill to plenum vote, but move questioned

The Knesset National Security Committee has voted to approve a bill imposing the death penalty on terrorists for its first reading.

The bill is approved despite the warning of the committee’s legal adviser Iddo Ben Yitzhak, who asserts that any vote held on the bill during Knesset’s recess is invalid.

He claims that the committee’s discussion preceding the vote did not include input from representatives of security agencies and lacked a substantive debate on the bill’s provisions.

During the debate, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s point man on hostages Gal Hirsch warned that the move could negatively impact those held in Gaza and efforts to free them.

The bill, introduced by Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, passes in a 4-1 vote. Its sole opponent is The Democrats MK Gilad Kariv, who was removed from the discussion following an outburst.