On Monday, 30 March, a new law enabling the execution of Palestinians was passed in Israel’s Knesset. The law, approved with 62 votes in favour—including Netanyahu’s—and 48 against, represents not only a regression on the issue of the death penalty but is also an openly fascistic measure. It has been adopted in the context of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people, which makes this law all the more abhorrent.
Under this law, Palestinians convicted in military courts for deadly attacks deemed to have “terrorist” motives can be sentenced either to execution—without the possibility of pardon, by hanging—or to life imprisonment.
This law has been passed in a country where no executions have taken place for more than 60 years. It effectively serves as a licence for harsher repression and intimidation of Palestinians. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security and one of the main architects of the law, openly stated its intent: “Anyone who kills Jews will no longer breathe.” As if the mass killing of Palestinians by the Israeli state were not enough, this law now adds the death penalty to the list of daily crimes committed against them.
Although the death penalty still exists in a number of countries despite a global movement against this inhumane punishment, it is unprecedented for a state to explicitly declare that execution applies only to one section of the population—namely Palestinians.
The world must stand against this regression and this fascistic act of killing. The Worker-communist Party strongly condemns the Israeli government and calls on all governments, international bodies, labour organisations and human rights groups to oppose this clear act of barbarism and to put pressure on Israel to repeal this law.
Iranian political parties and organisations, civil groups and social and political activists—both inside and outside the country—are expected to firmly condemn the Israeli government and this criminal law. In Iran, a broad and powerful movement against the death penalty is already underway. It is essential that this movement, along with its organisations and activists, take a strong stand against executions in Israel and in defence of the oppressed Palestinian people, and condemn this law widely.
The global movement in defence of the Palestinian people must also actively express its outrage against this criminal law.
Worker-communist Party of Iran
31 March 2026
