RAMALLAH: Fear for her son kept Maisoun Shawamreh awake all night after Israel’s parliament passed a controversial new death penalty law.
“The mothers of prisoners — none of us slept last night,” she told AFP as she joined a protest in Ramallah on Tuesday.
Law Creates Two Different Justice Systems
The bill, approved late Monday, makes death the default punishment for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Israeli military courts will hand down the sentence to anyone convicted of deadly “terrorism” attacks.
Angry Protests in the West Bank
Dozens of activists, political parties, and civil society groups gathered in Ramallah to protest the new law. Some carried placards showing a blindfolded prisoner between two nooses. Others held signs that read: “Stop the execution of prisoners law before it’s too late.”
Mixed Views Inside Israel
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir celebrated the bill’s passage with a champagne toast in parliament.
However, many Israelis expressed discomfort. A doctor from Tel Aviv called the law “primitive and very stupid.”
“We should be ashamed,” he said.
A software engineer who gave his name only as Tom felt the law was unfair.
“If someone commits murder, it should apply to everyone — Jews, Arabs, Muslims alike,” he said.
Legal Challenge Already Underway
Several Israeli human rights groups and three members of parliament have filed petitions to Israel’s Supreme Court asking it to strike down the law.
The death penalty exists in Israel but has only been used twice — once in 1948 and once in 1962 when Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann was executed.
The new legislation has deepened anger among Palestinians and triggered fresh debate inside Israel about justice and equality.
