By Martin Banks

The Greens/EFA Group says that it “strongly condemns” the Israeli parliament’s approval of the death penalty law affecting Palestinians, who were convicted of terrorist attacks.

The group has now requested a plenary debate on the “urgent need” for the EU to respond to the new law.

Villy Søvndal, Greens/EFA rapporteur on the situation in Israel and Palestine, was quick to comment.

The MEP said on Wednesday, “Reinstating a discriminative death penalty only targeting Palestinians in an already discriminatory and cruel system – and celebrating it with champagne – is beyond belief. The religious extreme right in Israel is clearly way too powerful.

“We in the EU and the EU leaders need to stop being concerned and just condemn, but stand behind those words with actions. The horrific situation in Gaza, the settlements, violence and destruction in the West Bank and now the death penalty.

“If that is not enough to introduce sanctions, nothing we will ever say about human dignity will ever be listened to again.”

MEP Hannah Neumann, Greens/EFA Coordinator in the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), comments:

“We strongly condemn the adoption of the death penalty bill in the Knesset. This law is clearly designed to target one group only: Palestinians.

“As Europeans, we must send a clear signal that the adoption of such discriminatory laws, brutally undermining the rule of law in Israel, will have consequences. We welcome and share the deep concern expressed by the Commission, the High Representative, and several Member States — but words are not enough. The EU must finally turn its criticism into action.

“We have long called for a stronger European response to the on-going humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the escalating violence in the West Bank. We once again urge the Commission and Member States to suspend the Association Agreement and impose sanctions on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich and actors within the violent settler movement.”

Meanwhile, the S&D Group is calling on the European Council to “urgently suspend” the EU-Israel Association Agreement in light of what it calls “Israel’s continuous violations of Article 2 of the Agreement on human rights.”

Yannis Maniatis, S&D Group vice-president for foreign affairs, said:

“Reintroducing the death penalty is a step back into the past and yet another blow to the values that underpin our partnership with Israel. We cannot and will not remain silent.

“When a partner repeatedly ignores the warnings from its friends and civil society alike, there must be consequences. It is high time the Council suspended the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The time to act is now.”

However, Israel has strongly defended the move.

“This is a day of justice for the victims and a day of deterrence for our enemies. No more revolving door for terrorists, but a clear decision. Whoever chooses terrorism chooses death,”  National Security Minister Itamar  Ben Gvir was quoted as saying.

According to local media in Israel, it has been promoted by its supporters as a response to the October 7 attacks.