US says respects Israel ‘right’ to determine its laws after death penalty for Palestinian attackers

The United States said on Monday it respected Israel’s right to set its own laws after its parliament introduced the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of killings, a move sharply criticised by European nations and rights groups.

“The United States respects Israel’s sovereign right to determine its own laws and penalties for individuals convicted of terrorism,” a State Department spokesperson said.

“We trust that any such measures will be carried out with a fair trial and respect for all applicable fair trial guarantees and protections.”

The United States is the only Nato country that still practices capital punishment. It has long been the key diplomatic and military supporter of Israel.

Ahead of the Israeli parliament’s approval of the bill, Britain, France, Germany and Italy on Sunday expressed “deep concern” and said the move risked “undermining Israel’s commitments with regards to democratic principles”.

The legislation makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank found guilty of intentionally carrying out deadly attacks deemed “acts of terrorism” by an Israeli military court.

The legislation appears to conflict with Israel’s Basic Laws, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination, and shortly after it was passed, a leading human rights group announced that it had filed a petition with the Supreme Court demanding the legislation’s annulment.

“The law creates two parallel tracks, both designed to apply to Palestinians,” the Association for Civil Rights in Israel said in a statement.

“In military courts, which have jurisdiction over West Bank Palestinians, it establishes a near-mandatory death sentence,” the rights group said.

Israel has not carried out a judicial execution since 1962, when it hanged Nazi Adolf Eichmann, a key perpetrator of the Holocaust.