"The picture of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir jubilantly trying to open a champagne bottle on the Knesset floor over the passing of a death penalty law for Palestinians will be anchored in history as one of those photographs that needs no caption."
"Israel's new death penalty law, which exclusively targets Palestinians, did not come out of nowhere. It was passed down from a scaffold the British had already built on the same land, testing it on the same people under the same sky."
"What those courts also reveal is that British execution policy was, from the beginning, applied differently depending on who stood before the judge. Palestinians were hanged for carrying four bullets; Jews received prison sentences for firing weapons."
Israel's death penalty law, targeting Palestinians, symbolizes a colonial legacy. The law mirrors British practices from the 1930s, where military courts prioritized speed and unequal application of justice. Historical accounts reveal that Palestinians faced harsher penalties compared to Jews for similar offenses. The jubilant reaction of Israeli officials to the law's passage underscores a troubling continuation of oppressive policies. This law is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of systemic discrimination against Palestinians, rooted in colonial history.
Read at Truthout
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