Israel: Statement by the Spokesperson on the Death Penalty Bill

The Death Penalty Bill approved by the security committee of the Israeli Parliament is deeply concerning.

The European Union opposes capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances.

The death penalty is a violation of the right to life and cannot be executed without violation of the absolute right to be free from torture and other ill-treatment. Capital punishment also has no proven deterrent effect and renders any judicial errors irreversible.

 Israel has long upheld a de facto moratorium on both executions and capital punishment sentencing, thereby leading by example in the region despite a complex security environment. 

Approving this bill would represent a grave step backward from this important practice and from positions Israel has itself expressed in the past.

The EU encourages Israel to abide by its previous principled position, with its obligations under international law, as well as its commitment to democratic principles, as reflected also in the provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.