WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday said it respects Israel’s sovereign right to determine its own laws after the Israeli parliament approved legislation introducing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks — a move that has drawn sharp criticism from European governments and human rights organisations.
A spokesperson for the US State Department said Washington respects Israel’s authority to decide its legal framework and penalties for individuals convicted of terrorism-related offences.
However, the spokesperson added that any such measures should be implemented through a fair judicial process with full adherence to legal protections and trial guarantees.
The United States remains Israel’s closest diplomatic and military ally and is also the only NATO member that still practices capital punishment.
Ahead of the law’s passage, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy jointly expressed “deep concern”, warning that the legislation could undermine Israel’s commitments to democratic principles.
The new law makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank who are found guilty by military courts of intentionally carrying out fatal attacks classified as acts of terrorism.
Critics say the legislation is discriminatory and effectively creates a separate legal track for Palestinians.
Soon after the bill was passed, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking its annulment.
In a statement, the rights group said the law establishes two parallel legal systems that are both primarily aimed at Palestinians.
It added that, in military courts with jurisdiction over West Bank Palestinians, the law effectively imposes an almost mandatory death sentence.
Human rights groups and legal analysts have also argued that the legislation may conflict with Israel’s Basic Laws, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination and are considered foundational constitutional principles.
Israel has not carried out a judicial execution since 1962, when Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was hanged following his conviction for crimes against humanity related to the Holocaust.
The legislation has intensified international debate over human rights, due process, and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with legal challenges expected in the coming days.