Israel’s death penalty law cannot erase the right to resist occupation

London – The Israeli Knesset’s recent approval, in its first reading, of a draft law introducing the death penalty for Palestinians resisting Israeli occupation and apartheid prisoners is yet another escalation in the ongoing oppression of Palestinians. It is part and parcel of the inhumane , violent apartheid legal infrastructure that has been constructed since the creation of the colonial settler state. 

As a result of western bias the fact that the death penalty exists for specific crimes already is hidden ,but that dirty secret is now out as it now proposes to target Palestinians who resist occupation, branding acts of self-determination as crimes punishable by death. Those now under threat include prisoners of war who under international humanitarian law are entitled to protections, not summary execution. The Geneva Conventions prohibits executing prisoners in the context of armed conflict, but yet again Israel has made clear it will circumvent these protections. Any law passed by an occupier cannot legitimise occupation or criminalise the struggle of an oppressed people.

Far from justice, this legislation is a tool of intimidation, designed to terrorise Palestinians and suppress their resistance. It allows military courts to sentence prisoners to death with a simple majority removing even the minimal safeguards of fair trial and due process. Once imposed, these sentences cannot be reduced or commuted. The celebration by far-right ministers of their “ death cult ” rituals was a macabre spectacle as well as a chilling demonstration of the system’s contempt for Palestinian life.

Resistance to occupation is not a crime. For over a century, Palestinians have faced dispossession, displacement, and ethnic cleansing, yet the international community has repeatedly granted Israel impunity while punishing those who dare to challenge oppression. Israel’s so-called “security” measures are in reality the systematic dehumanisation and destruction of a people refusing to submit to foreign domination.

At the heart of this struggle are the prisoners - men, women, and children - whose bodies and spirits bear the weight of defiance against occupation. The imposition of the death penalty is an attempt to break their resolve and intimidate the Palestinian population, but their resistance endures. Their courage stems from their unshakeable faith in Allah, a faith that sustains them despite oppression, captivity, and torture. It is this faith that fuels their steadfastness and showcases to the world that resistance to tyranny is not only a legal right but a natural - if not divine - right, affirmed by international law and rooted in the innate human propensity for justice and freedom. 

Anas Mustapha, Head of Public Advocacy at CAGE, said:
"This law is a grotesque attempt to terrorise Palestinians and criminalise resistance. No occupier has the moral or legal authority to impose death on those fighting for their freedom. The international community must act now to uphold the protections owed to prisoners of war and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for liberation."

[ENDS]

Photo courtesy of Weiss Paarz on flickr