Right Bypasses Rules, Crowns Ben-Gvir Death Penalty King
Source: haaretz.com
- Israel's right-wing coalition passed a death penalty law for terrorism by bypassing standard procedures.
- The law crowns Itamar Ben-Gvir, national security minister, as a new power center by giving him veto power over executions.
- This move sidelines the military and courts, raising fears of politicized justice.
Israel's government rammed through a controversial death penalty bill for terrorists using a fast-track procedure that skipped normal Knesset reviews. The key players are Itamar Ben-Gvir of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. The law hands Ben-Gvir outsized influence over life-and-death decisions, turning him into a de facto "king" on security matters. It matters because it weakens judicial oversight and could lead to hasty executions amid ongoing