Israel death penalty plan may only apply to Palestinians

By Kaamil Ahmed

JERUSALEM

Proposals to apply the death penalty in "terrorism" cases -- now being discussed as part of Israeli coalition talks -- could only apply to Palestinians, Israeli media reported Sunday.

Israel’s dual legal system -- which generally tries Israelis in civilian courts and Palestinians in military courts, where the penalty would be introduced -- would mean Israelis would not face death for killing Palestinians, a source in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party told Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Avigdor Lieberman, the hardline right-wing politician set to be Israel's new defense minister, has demanded the death penalty for Palestinians found guilty of killing Israelis in exchange for bringing his Yisrael Beitenu party into Netanyahu's coalition government.

Netanyahu hopes to broaden his coalition government's one-seat majority in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), which will reopen for its summer session on Monday.

Lieberman’s controversial appointment last week prompted outgoing defense minister and Netanyahu ally Moshe Yaalon to quit the government altogether, claiming it had been taken over by "dangerous forces".

Lieberman has a history of making inflammatory statements against Palestinians.

Before Israel’s 2015 general elections, he called for the beheading of Palestinians with Israeli citizenship who displayed disloyalty to the Jewish state.