The “Legal Department of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine” stated that the Israeli Knesset’s adoption of a new law allowing the execution of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners accused by Israel of participating in the events of October 7, along with the establishment of special military courts, represents the peak of fascism and racism, as it violates all international agreements and conventions related to prisoners’ rights.
The Legal Department considered that this new law is a continuation of the earlier law on executing prisoners passed weeks ago, and that it is based on racist motives and retaliatory backgrounds. It constitutes collective punishment against a people living under occupation. It also contradicts the minimum standards of international treatment of prisoners, who are entitled to all forms of care and protection, in accordance with the Third Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War and the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, in addition to a wide range of international agreements and provisions of international humanitarian law.
The department further stated that the new law is designed specifically to be applied to Palestinians only and not to Israeli Jews, which confirms that it is a discriminatory law based on national and ethnic identity, in clear violation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. It also breaches a highly important legal principle concerning the prohibition of establishing exceptional courts dedicated exclusively to dealing with Palestinian prisoners, which confirms the retaliatory legal background behind its issuance.
The “Legal Department of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine” affirmed that Israel’s ease in issuing racist laws is due to the international community’s and political and legal frameworks’ leniency in dealing with previous Israeli legislation, particularly the law on executing prisoners, the law banning UNRWA’s activities, and dozens of other fascist laws. These laws would not have been issued without the support Israel receives from the United States and some Western countries, which, through their backing, reinforce a culture of impunity.
The Legal Department concluded by stating that while it condemns the new fascist law enacted by the Israeli Knesset, it calls on all international judicial, legal, and humanitarian bodies to denounce this law and to defend not only the Palestinian people, but also the reputation and credibility of international justice, which is being violated daily by Israel and its institutions. It also calls on the Inter-Parliamentary Union and all international parliamentary bodies to condemn the Israeli Knesset and take punitive measures against it for enacting laws of a fascist and retaliatory nature, which further demonstrates the politicization of Israeli judicial and legal institutions that operate in accordance with the interests of political and party leaders.