Eight Muslim-majority countries on Thursday condemned Israel’s newly passed law authorizing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks in the West Bank, calling the measure a dangerous escalation that entrenches a system of apartheid.
Joint Statement Issued
The statement was released by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. It described the legislation as a “dangerous escalation, particularly given its discriminatory application against Palestinian prisoners,” warning that such measures “risk further exacerbating tensions and undermining regional stability.”
The countries further warned against “increasingly discriminatory, escalating Israeli practices that entrench a system of apartheid and a rejectionist discourse that denies the inalienable rights and the very existence of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
The use of the term “apartheid” is notable, particularly coming from the UAE, which maintains a closer working relationship with Israel than the other signatories.
Details of the Law
The law, passed by the Knesset late Monday, mandates the death penalty for West Bank Palestinians convicted by military courts of carrying out deadly attacks classified as “acts of terrorism.” Judges can opt for life imprisonment under “special circumstances,” but the death penalty would otherwise be carried out within 90 days of sentencing.
The law effectively applies capital punishment only to Palestinians, as it excludes Israeli citizens or residents, and only Palestinians are tried in military courts. Israelis are tried in civilian courts. A separate provision allows for the death penalty for anyone who “intentionally cause the death of a person with the aim of denying the existence of the State of Israel,” a definition designed to exclude Jewish terrorists.
While the death penalty exists in Israeli law, it has only been carried out once – the 1962 execution of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. Previously, Israeli courts could impose capital punishment only under extremely narrow circumstances and with a unanimous decision from a panel of judges, a threshold never met in terrorism cases.
International Reaction
The law has drawn criticism from the United Nations and the European Union. The United States, however, has affirmed “Israel’s sovereign right to determine its own laws.”
Almost all of the countries that signed the statement also enforce the death penalty domestically, including Saudi Arabia, which executed 356 people in 2025.
Supporters of the law argue it will deter terrorism and reduce incentives for abductions. However, senior security officials have disputed this claim, arguing there is no evidence capital punishment deters terrorism and warning it could escalate violence. Representatives from the IDF, Shin Bet intelligence agency, and government ministries voiced opposition during Knesset deliberations.
Following the bill’s passage, several Israeli opposition parties, including Yesh Atid, Hadash–Ta’al, and the Democrats party, along with human rights organizations, announced plans to petition the High Court of Justice to nullify the law.
According to Amnesty International, 54 countries worldwide permit the death penalty, including some democracies like the United States and Japan. The organization notes a global trend toward abolition, with 113 countries having outlawed it for all crimes.
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