The Knesset National Security Committee advances a bill to introduce the death penalty for terrorists, after government hostage pointman Gal Hirsch tells the panel that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports the measure.
The bill could have its first reading in the Knesset plenum as soon as Wednesday, Hebrew-language media reports.
The controversial legislation stipulates that courts will be able to impose the death penalty on those who have committed a nationalistically motivated murder of a citizen of Israel. It would not apply to an Israeli who killed a Palestinian.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir thanks the premier for supporting the bill, but says that the courts should not have discretion in the matter.
“I thank the prime minister for his support for Otzma Yehudit’s bill for the death penalty for terrorists, but the court must not have any discretion – every terrorist who goes out to murder must know that the death penalty will be imposed on him. It’s time for justice!,” the leader of the far-right party leader writes on X.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, November 3, 2025
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