m Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. According to the draft legislation, the death penalty would apply to those who kill Israelis with “racist” motives and “with the aim of harming the State of Israel and the revival of the Jewish people in its land,” The Times of Israel reported. Critics warn that the law, if passed, would in practice target Palestinians who kill Jews, while attacks by Jewish extremists against Palestinians would likely remain outside its scope. Similar proposals have failed in the past. The bill must pass a second and third reading before becoming law. A statement from the Knesset’s National Security Committee said the legislation aims to “cut off terrorism at its root and create a heavy deterrent.” Ben-Gvir hailed the vote on social media, calling it a historic move for his Jewish Power party. However, human rights groups have condemned the bill, arguing that it institutionalizes discrimination and violates international law. Although Israel technically retains the death penalty for a small number of crimes, the country has functionally operated as an abolitionist state. The last execution carried out was that of Nazi Holocaust perpetrator Adolf Eichmann in 1962. The bill has sparked international concern over potential ethnic and political bias in its implementation, raising fears of escalating tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.