JERUSALEM: Israel’s parliament approved a bill on Monday that would allow the execution of Palestinians convicted on terror charges for deadly attacks, a move sharply criticised as discriminatory by European nations and rights groups.

Sixty-two lawmakers, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, voted in favour and 48 against the bill, championed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

There was one abstention and the rest of the lawmakers were not present.

A leading Israeli human rights group announced it had filed a petition with the country’s Supreme Court challenging a bill approved by lawmakers on Monday that would permit the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly terror attacks.

Rights groups decry abolishment of de facto moratorium on capital punishment

“The Association for Civil Rights in Israel filed a petition today to the High Court of Justice, demanding the annulment of the Death Penalty for Terrorists Law, enacted by the Knesset today, March 30, 2026,” the rights group said in a statement shortly after lawmakers passed the bill.

The group said there were two grounds for annulling the bill. “First, the Knesset has no authority to legislate for the West Bank. Israel holds no sovereignty there,” it said, referring to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory.

“Second, the law is unconstitutional. It violates the right to life, human dignity, due process, and equality — rights protected under (Israel’s) Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. “

This marks a major shift in Israeli policy, as the country had a de facto moratorium on capital punishment for decades, with the only execution since 1954 being that of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962.

First time closure of Holy Sepulchre in centuries

Israel blocked Jerusalem’s Catholic cardinal from marking Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, sparking an international outcry that led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reverse the ban for the remainder of Holy Week.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Friar Francesco Ielpo from entering the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. The police cited security concerns related to the war in Iran for the ban.

“As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” it said in a statement.

Netanyahu posted on social media just after midnight that he instructed relevant authorities to grant full and immediate access to the cardinal.

“Today, out of special concern for his safety, Cardinal Pizzaballa was asked to refrain from holding Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” he said.

“Even though I understand this concern, as soon as I learned about the incident with Cardinal Pizzaballa, I instructed the authorities to enable the Patriarch to hold services as he wishes.” Israeli police said all holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City including those sacred to Christians, Muslims and Jews had been closed to worshippers since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, particularly locations without bomb shelters.

Police said they had rejected a request from the Patriarchate for a Palm Sunday exemption.

“The Old City and the holy sites constitute a complex area that does not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, which significantly challenges response capabilities and poses a real risk to human life in the event of a mass casualty incident,” police said.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Monday the US expressed concerns to Israel regarding the holy site closures.

“We want worshippers to be able to access these holy sites,” Leavitt told reporters. “Of course, safety is a top priority, but we understand Israel is working on those security measures to reopen the sites throughout Holy Week, and that’s something that we’re appreciative of.”

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the most important week in the Christian calendar, leading to Easter. The Old City would typically be busy, with Roman Catholics passing through the massive wooden doors of the Holy Sepulchre.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026