Israel's Knesset approves use of death penalty for jihadists

After many years of failure to take more serious measures for punishing murderous crimes, the Israeli Knesset has finally approved a law enabling the death penalty for jihadists:

The Knesset plenum finally approved this evening (Monday), in second and third reading, the bill allowing for the death penalty for terrorists.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in favor of the law, along with MKs from the Yisrael Beyteinu faction. On the other hand, MK Benny Gantz, along with members of the Degel Hatorah faction, chose to vote against it. Noam Chairman MK Avi Maoz was not present.

During the preliminary discussion, the chairman of the National Security Committee, MK Zvika Fogel, presented the law as an essential tool in the current war. "The State of Israel is facing unparalleled evil and hatred," said Fogel.

"Our enemies do not seek a border, a compromise or a shared future, but to destroy, harm, sow fear here and undermine our very existence here," continued Fogel. "Faced with such a reality, our responsibility is clear - to protect the citizens of Israel. Not with words or hopes, but with deeds. This law is not a law of revenge or rage, but of the responsibility of a state towards its citizens, of leadership towards human life."

I do find it disturbing though perhaps unshocking that some members of a Haredi party like Degel HaTorah wouldn't vote for this bill. And if Maoz didn't either, is that also concerning?

Some European governments unshockingly condemned this bill passage, but the USA's thankfully refrained:

The United States refrained from condemning the Death Penalty for Terrorists Bill, which was approved in the Knesset on Monday.

“The United States respects Israel’s sovereign right to determine its own laws and penalties for individuals convicted of terrorism," said a State Department spokesperson in a statement.

“We trust that any such measures will be carried out with a fair trial and respect for all applicable fair trial guarantees and protections," the spokesperson added. [...]

Last week, the European Union (EU) criticized the Israeli government for advancing the bill, saying it “is deeply concerning" and adding that the EU “opposes capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances."

In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry noted that the EU is intervening in a sovereign country’s legislative process.

“Israel, as a sovereign state, legislates its own laws. Unbelievably, the European Union is intervening in the midst of a sovereign state’s legislative process," the ministry said.

“Israel is facing murderous and brutal terrorism on a scale unmatched anywhere in the world. Palestinian terrorism is fueled by payments from the Palestinian Authority, as well as by abductions that lead to shortened prison terms for terrorists," it continued.

The statement noted that “Israeli law already permits capital punishment, and under the proposed new law, discretion over its application will remain with the courts."

“EU double standards: as always, the EU obsessively singles out Israel - we haven’t seen a tweet like this when it comes to capital punishment in the United States, Japan, India, Egypt, or other countries," the Foreign Ministry concluded.

But sooner or later, the EU will turn against, say, Armenia if they take similar measures for combatting terrorism. That aside, what the EU is doing is exactly what's led to the horror stories in Europe when it comes to Islamic jihadism. Sooner or later, any European country or movement that understands reality will have to consider parting ways with the EU if that's what it takes to making it possible to improve the situation.