Burak Bir
02 May 2026•Update: 02 May 2026
Israel’s newly adopted death penalty law perpetuates racial discrimination against Palestinians and amounts to a grave erosion of human rights, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) said Friday.
CERD expressed alarm about the law mandates, and urged Israel to immediately repeal it.
"Those courts have exclusive jurisdiction over Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, while Israeli citizens and residents are explicitly excluded from its application," it said in a statement.
Saying that the law is de facto applicable to Palestinians only, it stressed that it prohibits mitigation, commutation or pardon of the death penalty and sets a 90-day deadline for executions once a final judgment is rendered.
The state party should "ensure that all Palestinian detainees held in Israeli military or civilian detention are guaranteed their rights to equal treatment before the law, security of person, protection against violence or bodily harm and access to justice," it added.
The statement also urged Israel to end all policies and practices that amount to racial discrimination against and segregation of Palestinians.
The Committee further urged all states parties "to assume their obligations under the Convention and ensure that their resources are not used to enforce or support discriminatory policies and practices against Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
The Israeli Knesset, or parliament, passed the law in late March, making the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank convicted of lethal attacks against Israelis.
Executions would be carried out by hanging by prison guards appointed by the Israeli Prison Service, with those involved granted anonymity and legal immunity.
The legislation also mandates transferring those sentenced to death to special detention facilities and restricting visits to authorized parties, while meetings with lawyers would be limited to video communication.
It allows courts to issue death sentences without a request from prosecutors and does not require a unanimous decision, permitting rulings by a simple majority.
The law also applies to military courts handling cases involving Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and grants the defense minister the right to present an opinion before the court.
