You Can Stop the Death Penalty Bill
- Noa Sattath
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
March 24, 2026
Dear friend,
I know that there are a million developments in the news that you are following on a number of fronts, but I want to turn your attention to a critical issue that ACRI is strenuously working on—and one that you can do something about.
While the world’s attention is on the latest war with Iran, the government is advancing its loathsome Death Penalty Bill, an encapsulation of its cruelty, racism, and death-worship. Any use of the death penalty normalizes violence and inhumanity; the fact that this law imposing the death penalty would apply only to Palestinians is an added barbarity. The bill was just approved at the Knesset committee, and within the next few days may become law. This is a critical moment, and we must act quickly: the final vote could take place as early as Wednesday. You can read below about what you can do to stop the passage of this bill into law. Your efforts are essential.
This bill would not apply to anyone involved in the October 7 massacre, it is highly unlikely to deter potential future terror attacks, and may incentivize greater violence against soldiers and civilians—violence begetting violence. It is a cynical celebration of death, initiated and promoted by the racist and extremist Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, who triumphantly handed out baklavas after the bill advanced in a previous stage in the legislative process. This is the same Ben Gvir who wore a yellow pin in the shape of a noose, in a mockery of those wearing yellow ribbon pins for the return of the hostages: a typical rejection of the hope for life and repair in favor of cruelty and death.
The voice of the international community is essential in stopping this bill from becoming law. This is what you can do:
Donate to ACRI so that we can spring into action as soon as the bill becomes law. We will take this to the Supreme Court and fight for it to be revoked
E-mail members of Israel’s opposition parties and urge them to vote against the bill. The ultra-Orthodox parties, who are part of the governing coalition, are not in favor of this bill. The vote is close, and there is a chance for the opposition parties to vote down this bill. They need to hear from you and to hear how important this issue is to you
Spread the word. Send this video to your friends. Explain the urgency: the vote could take place as early as tomorrow (Wednesday). The time to act is now.
Together we are a voice insisting on human rights and human dignity, and we can make a difference. Time is of the essence. Donate now.
The Death Penalty Bill: What You Need to Know
The most recent version of the bill states that Palestinians convicted in military courts in the occupied territories of murder motivated by terrorism would face a mandatory death sentence, unless the court determines that special circumstances exist to justify commuting the sentence to life in prison.
The threshold for imposing the death penalty would be lowered: only a simple majority of judges (rather than a unanimous decision) would suffice, and the judges would not have to be high-ranking.
While the defendant could appeal the death sentence, the Military Commander would not have the authority to exercise their discretionary powers and pardon the defendant or commute their sentence.
In Israeli courts, a person convicted of murder motivated by the intention to erase the State of Israel would be sentenced to death or life imprisonment. In addition to the numerous other issues, this bill is racist.
Only Palestinians are tried in military courts where the death penalty would be mandatory except in cases where special circumstances exist. In Israeli courts the death penalty is not mandatory, but the only circumstance under which the death penalty would be imposed would be for a crime whose intent is to erase the State of Israel, which is most likely to apply exclusively to Palestinian defendants.
You can learn more about the bill on ACRI's website.