Israel passes controversial death penalty law

 On Tuesday night, the Israeli Knesset enacted legislation requiring the death penalty for all West Bank Palestinians convicted of carrying out deadly terror attacks. Of course, the broader debate over the legitimacy of capital punishment is an emotive one and will be discussed later. The US has had a long term affinity for capital and the law allows 27 states to apply it, while the UK abolished it in 1960.

The new Israeli law has triggered predictable outrage abroad and deep debate at home. But beyond the headlines, the story is not just about capital punishment. It is about how terrorism, justice, and narrative framing collide and how those collisions are interpreted very differently depending on the lens. While some of the criticism is a legitimate part of the debate, there has also been a predictable international media reaction: alarmist headlines, sweeping generalizations, and, in some cases, outright misinformation.

But a closer reading of the legislation and of the reporting itself reveals a far narrower, more complex reality than many news  outlets would have readers believe.

Not “Palestinians” — Terrorists Convicted of Murder

A striking number of headlines refer broadly to “Palestinians,” implying that the law applies collectively to an entire population, but this is not the case..

A similar story has been seen in other newspapers.

The UK Telegraph newspaper headline completely ignores the fact the law focuses exclusively on terrorists who have murdered innocent civilians, not the average Palestinian.

The new law targets a specific category of perpetrators: terrorists who intentionally kill a person as part of an act of terrorism. It is not applicable to all Palestinians, nor even to all individuals involved in terrorism. Those whose actions do not result in fatalities are not subject to the death penalty under this law.

Yet by stripping away that crucial distinction, media coverage transforms a narrowly defined legal measure into what appears to be a sweeping policy of collective punishment. Nothing new here, as most newspaper in both the US and UK love the opportunity to berate Israel,

That framing is misleading.

The law is NOT retroactive — and not about “thousands of prisoners”

Another claim circulating is that the law could be used against the thousands of Palestinians currently held in Israeli prisons.

Again, that is not the case. This law will only affect terrorists convicted of intentionally killing innocent people, not thousands of inmates.

Furthermore, the law cannot be applied retroactively. It applies only to future convictions meeting a specific criteria. Existing prisoners — regardless of their crimes for which they were convicted — are not affected.

By omitting this basic legal principle, some reporting inevitably has left audiences with the false impression that Israel is preparing to execute large numbers of current detainees but this is not the case

A Country Deeply Divided on the Issue

Another element missing from much of the coverage is the significant domestic debate prevalent Israel itself. Indeed, there is no national consensus behind the law.

Opposition figures, legal experts, and segments of the public have, and are continuing to raise major concerns — from moral objections to questions about deterrence and potential consequences. Even within Israel’s political and security establishment, the issue has long been contentious.

In other words, this is not the action of a monolithic state imposing an uncontested policy despite i9mplications raised by external media.. It is the product of a democratic system grappling openly and contentiously with a deeply sensitive issue.

Furthermore, this law has been passed against the backdrop of the Hamas October 7 massacre. Beyond emotive calls to deal with future terrorist threats or to apply some form of deterrence, there is a very practical reality that Israel has faced. Let us never forget, Israeli hostages were kidnapped and held in Gaza to be exchanged for thousands of Palestinian prisoners.

It is hard to forget that in a previous prisoner exchange, The now eradicated Hamas leader and mastermind of October 7, Yahya Sinwar was among those released  and for some Israelis, the death penalty may reduce the risk of such a murderer being freed in future.

A Law That Will Face Legal Scrutiny

So transparently the legal debate is far from over and Israel’s legal system, anchored by an independent judiciary, is expected to examine the law in detail. Any attempt to implement it will likely face rigorous judicial review.

Yet this reality — that the law will be tested, challenged, and potentially constrained through legal mechanisms is largely absent from coverage that prefers a more simplistic and largely anti:Israel narrative.

In addition, while death by hanging may be the default punishment for West Bank residents convicted of deadly terrorist acts by military courts, judges can opt for life imprisonment under vaguely defined “special circumstances.” Also, the sentence would still require a simple majority of judges, thus avoiding a unilateral decision on a matter of such gravity.

It is worth noting that the law was watered down to ensure it would not go any further than any similar laws enacted under U.S. legislation.

The Bottom Line

The death penalty law raises serious questions. Israelis themselves are debating them.

But the portrayal of the law as a sweeping, discriminatory measure targeting Palestinians as a whole — or as a tool poised to be applied to thousands of existing prisoners — does not withstand scrutiny.

It is a narrower, prospective measure aimed at a specific category of deadly terrorism.

And once again, the gap between what the law says and how it is reported tells its own story..

Political Comment

The new legislation raises a number of political, legal, religious and ethical issues. Now I am very far from as religious or Talmudic scholar so, if I may I will leave that issue to others more learned than me.

But on the political arena I think Israel is making a grave mistake. Internationally the country is not at its strongest and, thanks to a major media and social media campaign the "Palestinian" movement to sway opinion against the country, It is therefore inevitable that when a Palestinian terrorist kills an Israeli and is sentenced to death they could well be perceived as martyrs and undoubtedly anti-Zionists will create a mass campaign against the country.

Secondly, the country is an active war against Iran - a war that could see the US leaving without completing all of the strategic goals required. If that happens Israel will need to be united in what could become a prolonged war with Iran.

Third, it is inconceivable that the PA will recruit terrorists willing to kill Jews and become martyrs to "the cause" and promote their illegitimate campaign. While Iranian money will not be available, there are enough funds available to mount a prolonged campaign.

At an ethical issue there are further problems. The only capital death on Israeli soil was Adolf Eichmann and the nation has a proud history of avoiding capital sentencing despite countless sentencing. If this is to change courts will have to establish unquestionable guilt and internationally there are countless examples of how, despite stringent safeguards mistakes have been made.

So, in short I fear this new law will be a terrible mistake for a country that prides itself for being the only democracy in the Middle East and while the nation is very from an apartheid state, having legislation that punishes according to race leaves Israel vulnerable to accusations of having different rules for Palestinians than Jews. Creating laws based on vengeance and hatred are not the solution - we win when we show even our enemies that we will not succumb to bitterness and revenge. Payback and reprisal will not make Israelis safer.

The unpleasant case of Green antisemitism

 The leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, who is Jewish, took to social media after an article from the Daily Mail quoted one of his family members saying he is "the leader of the future Islamic party of Britain".

The article featured three extended family members who Polanski with whom he has no contact.

Responding, Polanski pointed out that he is currently the only Jewish person in charge of a political party, adding: "The Daily Mail have been and always will be my enemy – they historically supported fascists and continue to do so.

"I'll take no lectures from them on antisemitism."

A Green Party spokesman also hit out at the article, saying: "Zack is one of five Jewish leaders of a political party in British history and the harassment he has received since being elected is patently antisemitic.

"Reporting like this demeans the press and our democracy." 

Responding to backlash, Nicole Lampert - the journalist who wrote the piece and who is Jewish herself - denied that she was "going after" Polanski's family and said those she had spoken to were "frightened by the Jew hate in your party"

She continued: "They are frightened by what you have given the green light to ... While you once fought Jew hatred, now you indulge it because, as we both see, it is popular."

"Other political groups have discovered this in the past," she added.

Polanski responded accusing the journalist of "parasitic behaviour" and dismissing the story as "daily nonsense".

I find a strange irony here - a political leader whose party has patently expressed anti-Israel and, by default anti-Zionist comments now finds it necessary to defend itself from what it calls antisemitic attacks. Personally, I call that "Jewish when needed".

Sorry Zack, it won't work!

You and your ridiculous little party have brought this on yourselves and I have no sympathy. Historically the Greens have always done badly in General Elections and I see no evidence this will change. Remember, back in 1981 the Lib Dems were told by their then leader, David Steele " ... Prepare for government". Well, back in 2024 they only managed 72 MPs, a long way from government.

Be warned, the Greens are a vicious, nasty antisemitic party but, like a tiny stone in your shoe they will be thrown out and consigned to the dustbin

An Iranian spy-ring on the heart of London?

According to reports, an Iranian spy recruitment ring is operating openly in London and the Islamic Republic is exploiting Britain’s “permissive environment” as a base for its Western intelligence-gathering and propaganda campaigns, according to the newspaper.

It seems the UK's permissive environment is common knowledge at this point, with charitable organisations linked to the antisemitic regime operating freely here, repeated glorification of the terrorist IRGC and regime leadership on our streets, propagandistic events on campuses and vigils for assassinated terrorist figures that run absolutely counter to our values. Iranian state television still operates in the UK, and the regime itself continues to enjoy a diplomatic foothold.

British authorities have been warned that an Iranian spy recruitment network is operating openly in London, with the country’s state broadcaster, Press TV, reportedly serving as a front to identify and cultivate intelligence assets, according to reporting by The Telegraph. The network is said to exploit Britain’s permissive environment to gather information on Western targets and propagate Tehran’s interests.

Press TV, the English-language channel of Iran’s state broadcaster, maintains a studio in London and is alleged to have produced programming that effectively created a “target list for terrorists” by highlighting Jewish charities, schools, and community organisations, officials told The Telegraph. Concerns have risen following a recent anti-Semitic arson attack in north London, where two men were arrested after ambulances owned by a Jewish charity were set alight outside a synagogue. Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation, amid fears the incident could be linked to Iran.

Earlier this month, two Iranian nationals were charged with spying for Tehran after allegedly conducting surveillance of the Israeli embassy in London and Britain’s oldest synagogue, the Westminster magistrates’ court was told. Experts have long cautioned that Iranian intelligence services routinely target Jewish communities, Israelis, and Iranian dissidents, often using criminal intermediaries.

Police stand outside the scene of an antisemitic arson attack in the Golders Green Bneighbourhood of north London, on March 24, 2026. (AFP)

“From an Iranian perspective, London is a permissive environment,” Jonathan Hackett, a former American intelligence officer with two decades of experience in Marine Corps intelligence, told The Telegraph. He said some Press TV journalists were tasked with spotting and assessing potential recruits, using their professional credentials to gain access to both private and governmental circles. Hackett explained that the journalists would develop assets before transferring them to more experienced Tehran-based handlers.

Hackett noted that Press TV’s London office has assumed a “more significant” role in recruitment efforts as the broadcaster has been sanctioned in other Western countries. In recent years, Press TV has faced restrictions in the European Union, Australia, Canada, and the United States, with the latter citing the airing of forced confessions and the channel’s use by Iranian intelligence to recruit sensitive assets, including U.S. nationals, according to the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The recruitment of Monica Witt, a former U.S. Air Force counter-intelligence specialist with access to top-secret defense files, was highlighted as a high-profile example. Witt was allegedly groomed by Press TV presenter Marzieh Hashemi, initially “spotting, assessing and handling” her before transferring the case to a Tehran-based officer, Hackett said. Witt defected to Iran in 2013, a development described by Hackett as a major intelligence victory for Tehran.

Press TV has also faced scrutiny for broadcasting content considered anti-Semitic. The Community Security Trust (CST), a U.K.-based Jewish charity, has criticized the channel’s programme Palestine Declassified for depicting numerous Jewish organisations and individuals as “genocidal Zionist extremists.” The CST spokesman said the programming raises safety concerns for the targeted individuals and organisations, requiring extensive monitoring and security measures. Episodes reportedly named 14 Jewish charities and criticized Jewish schools and leaders for alleged pro-Zionist activities.

Two prominent U.K. presenters of the programme include Chris Williamson, a former Labour MP now deputy leader of the Workers Party, and academic David Miller, who was dismissed from Bristol University over anti-Zionist claims but later won a workplace discrimination case. Both are noted for presenting Palestine Declassified and contributing to Press TV’s English-language output.

In response to the growing concerns, a group of Members of Parliament urged the U.K. security minister to impose financial sanctions on Press TV. David Taylor, Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead, called the broadcaster the “international mouthpiece for Iran’s murderous regime,” highlighting its alleged role in targeting Jewish communities and propagating anti-Western narratives. Discussions at Downing Street and among officials at the Foreign Office, Home Office, and Treasury have reportedly considered measures to further restrict the channel’s operations in the U.K.

Press TV’s broadcast licence in Britain was revoked by Ofcom in 2012, and it has been banned from YouTube, yet it continues to operate via social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and X, with over one million followers. Roger Macmillan, a former director of security at independent Farsi-language broadcaster Iran International, described Press TV as operating in a “grey zone,” noting that while it may not violate broadcasting regulations, it continues to disseminate pro-regime content and anti-Semitic material.

                                                 Marzieh Hashemi, a Press TV presenter, is accused of recruiting spies for Iran 

A U.K. government spokesperson said, “We are clear-eyed about the threats posed by Iran, and our first priority is protecting British interests and British lives both in the U.K. and overseas. We have introduced a comprehensive set of additional measures aimed at countering threats posed by the Iranian regime.”

The network’s activities in London, including the alleged use of Press TV to recruit intelligence assets, remain under scrutiny amid broader security and counter-terrorism efforts.

At a time when Jewish institutions, synagogues, schools and individuals are being targeted by Iranian assets and extremist cells, we are in desperate need of a crackdown, however Starmer and his pseudo-liberal buddies seem reluctant to tackle issues that not only affect the Jewish community, but the UK as a whole,

The possibility of an Iranian spy ring will be no great surprise to most of us, but the fact it is to Starmer is a matter of deep concern.