The Palestine Chronicle / January 29, 2023
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has announced plans to introduce legislation allowing the death penalty against Palestinians, Israeli media reported.
According to The Times of Israel, the far-right politician made the announcement following a security cabinet meeting held late on Saturday night after an attack was carried out in a Jewish settlement that killed seven Israelis and wounded three. The incident came a day after the deadliest Israeli military raid in the West Bank in years, which left at least 9 Palestinians killed and 20 others wounded.
“I hope we will pass it with a big majority,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement, adding that the security cabinet’s newly announced measures are “important”.
He also said he wanted “a lot more and I will continue and will strive for more and more decisions for combating terror.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said the security cabinet had decided on a series of steps to “combat terror and exact a price from terrorists and their supporters”.
Without providing further details, he added that steps will be taken to “strengthen settlements” in response to the attacks.
In November, Ben-Gvir made the introduction of capital punishment against Palestinians found guilty of killing Israelis a condition for his faction to join Netanyahu’s coalition government.
