By Abdelraouf Anaut
JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given the go-ahead for a controversial bill that allows the imposition of death penalty for Palestinians involved in attacks against Israelis.
Speaking in a meeting with coalition party heads on Sunday, Netanyahu said there was nothing preventing the bill from being advanced in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), according to The Times of Israel newspaper.
He said opposition from Israel’s internal security service Shin Bet and Israeli army should not prevent lawmakers from advancing the motion.
The legislation has been heavily endorsed by Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's hardline defense minister, and was part of an earlier coalition agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party.
The agreement brought Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party into Israel's coalition government.
The controversial bill was approved by the Knesset in the first reading in January.
Last year, Netanyahu voiced his support for applying the death penalty to those he described as "terrorists with blood on their hands".
Because of Israel's dual legal system, which generally tries Israelis in civilian courts and Palestinians in military courts (where the death penalty would be introduced), Israelis would generally not face execution for killing Palestinians.
Currently, a death penalty can only be imposed if a panel of three military judges passes the penalty unanimously. If the bill is approved, a majority verdict would suffice.
According to official Palestinian figures, roughly 6,500 Palestinians are currently being held in prisons and detention facilities throughout Israel.