Germany criticizes Israel’s plan to introduce death penalty

BERLIN

Germany on Tuesday criticized Israel’s planned legislation to introduce death penalty in the country.

“We’re very concerned about Israel’s plan to introduce capital punishment,” Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said at a joint news conference with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in Berlin.

She said capital punishment is a “cruel” practice which has no sufficient deterrent effect, and it should be abolished worldwide.

“Children in Germany are being taught at school that Israel, although it is threatened by terror like no other country, has only once used capital punishment in its history and that was against Adolf Eichmann,” she said, referring to a Nazi criminal.

“This has always been an impressive argument that we can use while defending Israel against unjustified criticism on the international scene,” she continued.

“So I speak as a friend when I say that I’m convinced that it would be a major mistake to break with this good tradition.”

Israel’s Ministerial Committee on Legislation on Sunday backed a controversial legislation which states that someone who kills an Israeli citizen with a racist motive or for the purpose of harming the state of Israel, should be sentenced to death.