On Tuesday 31 March, the European External Action Service (EEAS) strongly condemned the Knesset’s adoption the previous evening of a law extending the use of the death penalty in Israel.
The text passed by the Israeli parliament now makes it possible to impose the death penalty on “whoever intentionally or out of indifference causes the death of an Israeli citizen [...] with the aim of harming the State of Israel and the rebirth of the Jewish people”. The wording was likely crafted to target Palestinians responsible for terrorist acts in the occupied territories.
Pointing to a “discriminatory” text and a “clear violation” of human rights, EEAS spokesman Anouar El Anouni expressed the EU’s “deep concern” at what he described as a “great step backwards”.
Until now, Israel had observed a de facto moratorium on handing down such sentences: a practice that set an example in the region, despite a “complex security environment”, the spokesman noted, adding that the EU condemns the death penalty “in all cases and under all circumstances”, in the name of the fundamental right to life.
Asked about the possibility of suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Mr El Anouni stated that for the time being the EEAS was giving priority to diplomatic channels: High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas was in regular contact with her Israeli counterparts. The spokesman admitted that European measures remained “on the table” at the EU Council, referring to the Commission’s proposal, dating back to September 2025, to suspend the trade component of the Israel-EU Association Agreement in light of the numerous human rights violations committed by Israel during its war against Hamas in Gaza (see EUROPE 13711/1). As of late 2025, this proposal had failed to garner the support of a qualified majority of Member States in the EU Council, due notably to opposition from Germany and Italy. Mr El Anouni declined to speculate on specific future sanctions, whilst stressing that the current “negative trend” is distancing Israel from its international obligations.
The Council of Europe is deeply concerned. For his part, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset also deplored “a serious setback” for human rights in Israel, despite “repeated calls” to the country’s authorities (see EUROPE 13839/21).
The international organisation, which opposes the death penalty - a principle reaffirmed in the declaration adopted at the conclusion of the Reykjavik Summit in May 2023 (see EUROPE 13184/2) - “will closely monitor upcoming developments regarding this law”, announced Alain Berset. It will also examine the implications of the text for Council of Europe conventions and the cooperation mechanisms to which Israel is a party.
The day before, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Petra Bayr had likewise stated that the adoption of this legislation would “seriously jeopardise” the Knesset’s observer status with the Assembly.
This issue will be on the agenda of the debate on abolishing the death penalty to be held in plenary session on Wednesday 22 April. (Original version in French by Justine Manaud with Véronique Leblanc)