Politicians wear noose pendants, call for Israeli death penalty

Several Israeli politicians from the Jewish Power Party (Otzma Yehudit) were wearing noose-shaped pendants in parliament on December 8th, according to the Middle East Eye and agencies.

The party is led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is a key proponent of a bill which would impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis on “nationalistic grounds”, although Israelis convicted of similar crimes are seemingly exempt.

The proposed penal code amendment passed its first reading in the Knesset on November 10th, although two subsequent readings are required for it to become law.

Ben-Gvir boasted about wearing the pendant on X, where he stated that he and party members “arrived at the National Security Committee discussions to continue advancing the death penalty for terrorists, while wearing a pin in the shape of a hangman’s noose – as a symbol of our commitment to passing the law and as a clear message that terrorists are sons of death.”

In October, it was reported that footage emerged of Ben-Gvir standing in front of a cell holding Palestinian detainees; Ben-Gvir told the camera that Palestinian detainees “deserve a death penalty law.”

At a parliamentary discussion on December 3rd, Jewish Power Party member, Zvi Sukkot, suggested executing Palestinians who burn waste; his proposal was backed by fellow Jewish Power member, Yitzhak Kreuzer, and the Likud party’s Environment Minister, Idit Silman.

All three politicians justified their position by claiming that burning waste constituted “terrorism.” Ben-Gvir has similarly designated officials from the Palestinian Authority as “terrorists”.

It is currently unclear if Ben-Gvir’s designation of Palestinian officials as terrorists would make them eligible for the death penalty under the death penalty bill.

Ben-Gvir’s open contempt for Palestinian life resulted in various governments, including the UK, imposing sanctions on him; the travel ban and asset freeze also applied to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

In October, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich were among 55 Israeli politicians to sign a letter urging President Isaac Herzog to pardon Jewish prisoners convicted of killing Palestinians.

Among those the letter urged to be pardoned was Amiram Ben-Uliel, who was involved in the 2015 firebombing of a West Bank Palestinian home that killed three members of the Dawabsheh family.

Ben-Gvir is a trained lawyer who has built a reputation of trying to get Israelis accused of anti-Palestinian violence and incitement acquitted.

Middle East Eye and agencies, Maghrebi.org