EU censures Israel’s ‘terrorist’ death penalty bill as ‘inhuman’

The European Union (EU) has condemned the preliminary endorsement of a bill at the Israeli parliament, which would ease conditions for courts to sentence what they call “terrorists” to death, saying the measure is “incompatible with human dignity.”

The death penalty “constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment, does not have any proven deterrent effect and allows judicial errors to become irreversible and fatal,” a statement released by the EU read on Wednesday.

The statement came hours after the Israeli parliament (Knesset) in a narrow 52-49 vote approved the first draft of a bill that would make it easier for military courts to impose a death sentence against those involved in murders or “terrorist operations.”

The motion proposed by the regime’s minister for military affairs, Avigdor Lieberman, seeks to amend the current law and wants it replaced by a simple majority decision of the judges.

At the moment, the death penalty in Israel can only be imposed if a panel of three military judges passes sentence unanimously. Should the amendment bill becomes law, a “terrorist” could be sentenced to death if two of the three judges agree to it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a strong supporter of the bill, had told the Knesset ahead of the vote that death penalty is “justice in extreme situations.”

Opposition lawmaker Tzipi Livni spoke out against the bill, calling it “reckless, 100 percent politics.”

The bill does not mention any specific ethnicity, but it seems to be targeted at the Palestinians, mostly young ones, whom the regime calls “terrorists” for launching alleged stabbing attacks against Israeli military personnel.