Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, wore a lapel pin resembling that of a noose to discuss a bill proposing the execution of Palestinian prisoners during the national security meeting in the Knesset on Monday, December 8.
“We all came with this pin, which is one of the options through which we implement the death penalty law,” Ben Gvir said while listing out options, including the possibility of hanging, the electric chair, and anaesthesia.
He claimed that despite the Israeli Medical Association’s stance against the proposed bill, he received “over 100 calls from doctors who said: ‘Itamar, just tell us when.’”
According to Al Jazeera, Ben Gvir bragged about starving Palestinians to death, “I do not intend to apologise for one thing,” he added.
Opposition members have strongly criticised the bill. Merav Ben-Ari from the ‘Yesh Atid’ party took to X and targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying, “Look at what you have brought into the Knesset, and I assume you will not publish this in English video clips. Personally, how disgusting, what crazies have entered the House of Representatives, the stronghold of Israeli democracy.”
Yair Golan, head of the ‘Democrats’ party, wrote that “a noose pin on the collar is a sick joke. Ben Gvir is a disgrace to Judaism and Zionism. Netanyahu is the one who legitimised this anti-Zionist man.”
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel responded saying the Bill is against the sanctity of life and human dignity. “The value of life is a lofty value, and there is no interest that outweighs it and justifies the taking of life, neither as a punitive nor as a deterrent measure,” read their statement.
It further said that the human right to life is a right in itself, not related to anything, and the state is not allowed to license life and use it as a means of sending a message to threaten others.
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