Israel’s Knesset has advanced a bill that would make execution mandatory for those convicted of killing Israelis for political or nationalist motives, marking a major shift in the country’s approach to capital punishment.
The proposal, introduced by ultranationalist lawmaker Limor Son Har-Melech, passed its first reading 39–16. It defines eligible offences as murders committed «due to racism» and «with the aim of harming the State of Israel and the revival of the Jewish people,» and would allow military courts in the West Bank to impose death sentences by majority rather than unanimous verdict.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the bill after National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to pull support from the governing coalition. Security services are reported to oppose the legislation, which critics say would curb future prisoner exchanges and damage Israel’s international standing. Ben-Gvir celebrated the vote by distributing baklava in the chamber.
Israel retains the death penalty in law but has used it only once, Adolf Eichmann in 1962. Formally, it is also allowed for high treason and in limited military contexts, but has never been implemented in those cases. The bill requires two further votes to become law.
Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Uzbekistan’s Legislative Chamber approved an Islamic banking bill in its second and final readings, advancing a landmark framework to the Senate that would legalise Sharia-compliant finance and amend the Tax Code, Civil Code and eight other laws.
