Israel’s Observer Status at Europe’s Rights Assembly Threatened Over New Death Penalty Law

Israel’s long‑held observer status at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is at risk after the Knesset approved a controversial new law expanding the death penalty for Palestinians, prompting sharp warnings from the assembly’s president.

PACE president Petra Bayr said the death penalty is fundamentally incompatible with the values required of observer states, stressing that Israel’s status “might be suspended” unless the law is overturned or clearly prevented from taking effect. “There are red lines … even a non‑discriminatory death penalty is a no‑go,” she said.

The law, passed on March 31 with 62 votes in the Knesset, mandates capital punishment for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks deemed to “harm the state of Israel.” Jewish Israelis are effectively shielded from the law because it applies only to crimes committed with the “intent to deny the existence of the state of Israel.”

Israel has held observer status at PACE since 1957, and no country has ever lost that position. But pressure has been building: a cross‑party motion filed in June 2025 urged suspension of Israel’s status over its conduct in Gaza, and Bayr said that motion could be fast‑tracked with an added statement addressing the death penalty law.

PACE’s 306 members will vote on April 22 on a report urging Israel to maintain its longstanding abolition of capital punishment for ordinary crimes and avoid expanding it “in a discriminatory manner.”

Israeli opposition politician Meirav Ben‑Ari, who heads the Knesset’s delegation to PACE, said petitions have already been filed with Israel’s Supreme Court challenging the law. She expressed hope the assembly would avoid “extreme measures,” calling the legislation contrary to her values and those of many Israelis.

The debate comes amid widespread condemnation from human rights groups, who argue the law entrenches unequal justice and disproportionately targets Palestinians. Critics warn it could deepen tensions in the occupied territories and further isolate Israel within international institutions.