Netanyahu buries death penalty bill despite likely majority in ministerial committee

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation postponed the vote on a Yisrael Beytenu bill making it easier to sentence terrorists to death by three months on Sunday, opting to form a committee on the topic instead.

As of Sunday morning, it seemed likely that the Ministerial Committee for Legislation would approve the bill. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel of Bayit Yehudi, as well as Likud’s Immigration and Absorption Minister Ze’ev Elkin, Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev, Science and Technology Minister Danny Danon and Minister Without Portfolio Ofir Akunis all said publicly that they supported the death penalty for terrorists, while Tourism Minister Yariv Levin was the only Likud minister who spoke out against it.

Senior Citizens, Young People and Gender Equality Minister Gila Gamliel, also of Likud, is in the US and planned not to participate, and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Environmental Protection Minister Avi Gabbay of Kulanu, Energy, Water and National Infrastructure Minister Yuval Steinitz of Likud and Religious Affairs Minister David Azoulay of Shas did not state their position.

However, in a meeting of Likud ministers, an overwhelming majority – including those supporting the death penalty – supported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said such a serious topic should not be decided in a political committee; rather, professional opinions should be taken into consideration.

In addition, several Likud ministers said the coalition shouldn’t be rushing to give Yisrael Beytenu, an opposition party, a victory.

MK Sharon Gal (Yisrael Beytenu), who proposed the bill, called the panel to review the death penalty a “time-wasting committee.”

Gal plans to bring the bill to a preliminary vote in the Knesset Wednesday, even though it is unlikely to pass without ministerial support.

“The prime minister’s decision is further proof that this is not a nationalist government,” the Yisrael Beytenu MK said. “Just like this government has not acted to eliminate Hamas’ terrorist regime in Gaza, it also impeded the fight against terrorists in Israeli territories.”

Meretz chairwoman Zehava Gal-On called on Netanyahu to completely bury the bill, in order not to “authorize murder sponsored by the law.”

“The proposal to sentence terrorists to death does not reflect Jewish morals or democratic values. Killing out of revenge is wrong and has nothing to do with justice,” she added.

Last week, Gal-On proposed a bill that would cancel the option of the death penalty, which exists under Israeli law, but was only used by a civil court in 1962, against SS officer Adolf Eichmann.

The current law gives judges an option of sentencing a terrorist to death, but only if there is a consensus between all the judges presiding over a case.

The bill would allow a majority of judges presiding on a case to decide on the death penalty. In addition, the legislation would apply to Israel within the Green Line and to Judea and Samaria, and would not allow the IDF to change the sentence for West Bank residents.