‘Discriminatory’ Israeli death penalty law would be war crime, says UN rights chief

Volker Turk says bill, which applies to Palestinians convicted of terror charges but not Jewish extremists, must be promptly repealed'

A new Israeli law which would sanction the execution of Palestinians convicted on terror charges for deadly attacks, but not Jewish extremists accused of similar crimes, would constitute a war crime if enacted, according to one of the UN's most senior human rights officials.

Speaking amid mounting international condemnation of the bill, the UN's high commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, described the law as patently inconsistent with Israel's international law obligations, including in relation to the right to life," adding it raises serious concerns about due process violations, is deeply discriminatory, and must be promptly repealed".