Human rights attorney Dalia Qumsieh and Israeli parliamentarian Aida Touma-Suleiman have issued a strong rebuke against legislation recently passed by the Israeli Parliament. The law authorizes the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism, a move critics claim deepens systemic inequality in the region.
Dalia Qumsieh, director of the Balasan Human Rights Initiative, argues the legislation is a formal codification of extrajudicial killings. "The law codifies the killings and executions of Palestinians in a way that truly entrenches apartheid," Qumsieh said. She noted that the legal framework relies on military courts, which maintain a conviction rate exceeding 99% for Palestinian defendants.
Legal concerns and international law
The legislation removes requirements for unanimous judicial agreement to impose capital punishment and mandates that sentences be carried out within 90 days. Qumsieh highlighted that the law denies any possibility of pardon, reflecting what she describes as an intent to facilitate rapid executions under the guise of procedure.
According to Qumsieh, the law violates international law on multiple fronts. She pointed to the July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which declared Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory illegal. "Israel has no right to be here and legislate within occupied territory," she stated, characterizing the move as an act of de facto annexation.
Beyond the death penalty, the conversation addressed the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank. Qumsieh reported that Israeli authorities are increasingly leveraging regional conflicts to expand settlements and accelerate the displacement of Palestinian residents. She cited data indicating that the number of settler militias has surged from 18 to 800 since October 7, 2023.
These militias are reportedly receiving state support, with the government facilitating the distribution of at least 150,000 firearms to settlers. Qumsieh described this as a state-sponsored mechanism of violence designed to force Palestinians off their land. "Forced displacement is at the very core of Israeli policy," she said, noting that such actions constitute war crimes under international law.
