TEL AVIV, February 17, 2026 (WAFA) – A petition against a proposed law imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners was published in Israeli newspapers on Tuesday.

The petition, signed by 1,200 people, including former officials, Supreme Court justices, Nobel laureates, former heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad security services, academics, university presidents, former IDF Chiefs of Staff Dan Halutz and Moshe Ya'alon, and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, stated:

The petition reads: "We, the undersigned, strongly oppose the proposed death penalty bill currently being debated in the Knesset in preparation for its second and third readings, and we call on Knesset members to reject it," adding that "resuming the use of the death penalty would bring a moral stain on Israel and contradict its identity as a Jewish and democratic state. The death penalty is inappropriate for a state committed to human rights and the essence of humanity. It is an extreme and absolute measure, and its primary justification—that it deters murderers—is not supported by scientific research."

It pointed to the proposed bill, initiated by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as containing extreme and unprecedented provisions. It stated that the bill "discriminates between one blood and another, effectively stipulating that the death penalty will only be imposed on Palestinians who have killed Israelis, not on others who commit similarly serious offenses. Furthermore, it mandates the death penalty for Palestinians tried in military courts in the (occupied) territories, eliminating the possibility of judicial discretion and removing any possibility of leniency or commutation."

The petition argued that reinstating the death penalty would contradict not only clear international trends but also numerous obligations of the State of Israel under international law. It concluded that approving the law would isolate Israel, which has committed to not reinstating this abhorrent punishment.

K.T