Germany expresses 'great concern' over Israel's new death penalty law

The German government on Tuesday expressed "great concern" over the Israeli parliament's decision to introduce the death penalty for convicted terrorists.

"Understandably, Israel has taken a hard line against terrorism since October 7," said government spokesman Stefan Kornelius in Berlin. "However, the German government views the law passed yesterday with great concern."

Opposition to the death penalty is a fundamental feature of German policy, he said.

The German government is also concerned that such a law "would likely apply exclusively to Palestinians in the Palestinian territories," Kornelius added. "It therefore regrets the Knesset’s decision and cannot endorse it."

The Knesset, Israel's parliament, approved the bill on Monday. It provides that the death penalty or life imprisonment may be imposed for terrorist-motivated murder with the aim of destroying the State of Israel.

Israel abolished the death penalty for murder in 1954 and retained it only in exceptional cases. The execution of the German Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962 was the last carried out in Israel.