The Palestine Forum of New Zealand strongly condemns the recent decision by the Israeli Parliament to pass a law imposing the death penalty on Palestinians convicted in military courts.

According to multiple international reports, this law mandates execution, potentially within 90 days, and applies primarily to Palestinians tried under Israel’s military legal system in the occupied territories.

This legislation represents a dangerous and unprecedented escalation, and a clear violation of international law, human rights principles, and basic standards of justice.

A Racist and Discriminatory Law

This law is fundamentally discriminatory. It creates two separate systems of justice, one for Israelis and another for Palestinians, further entrenching a system of inequality and oppression.

Human rights organisations, legal experts, and international actors have already warned that the law is “discriminatory” and contrary to international law, and risks deepening violence and injustice.

By targeting Palestinians almost exclusively, this measure institutionalises racial discrimination within the legal system.

Violation of International Law

The imposition of the death penalty in such a context violates key principles of international humanitarian law, including:

• The right to a fair trial
• The prohibition of discriminatory punishment
• Protections afforded to people living under military occupation

This law also runs counter to the global movement toward the abolition of the death penalty, now rejected by the majority of countries worldwide.

A Call to the International Community

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand calls on:

• The United Nations and all international bodies to immediately intervene
• Governments around the world to publicly condemn this law
• The international community to take concrete action to stop its implementation

Silence in the face of such injustice is complicity.

Call for Sanctions and Accountability

We further call for:

• Targeted sanctions on Israel for its continued violations of international law
• Accountability mechanisms, including action through international courts
• The suspension of diplomatic and economic support that enables such policies

There must be real consequences for policies that dehumanise and endanger an entire people.

Our Position

This law is not about justice; it is about entrenching occupation, control, and fear.

It signals a shift toward state-sanctioned execution under a discriminatory system, and must be rejected unequivocally.

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand stands firmly with the Palestinian people and reaffirms its commitment to justice, dignity, and freedom.

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