The Knesset's National Security Committee on Wednesday morning held a discussion on the proposed law to sentence terrorists to the death penalty.
During the discussion, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir referred to the events of October 7, stressing that the massacre necessitates the law's immediate advancement.
Minister Ben-Gvir said, "I intentionally asked to see the pictures from October 7, and it once again leads us to a single conclusion: We do not have the right to forgo the death penalty law, a law that is mandatory, a law under which terrorists will be executed."
Osher Vaknin, who suffered battle shock and attended the discussion, recounted: "The terrorists I faced destroyed my life. I was supposed to be a father, but they returned me dead. My home became a boxing ring. I live with my mother and look at her - and it breaks me. I would go through it all again, and I will continue to sit here in a tent until they understand: The death penalty for terrorists should not be up for debate. It’s a must. There must be no doubt or argument about it."
Last month, the Committee approved the bill for its first reading.
In a closed session of the committee, Israel’s security establishment shifted its position on the bill. For the first time, representatives from the Shin Bet and other security agencies expressed principled support for advancing the legislation, reversing their longstanding opposition.
Security officials at the meeting emphasized that judges should still retain some discretion in deciding whether to impose the death penalty.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for hostages and missing persons, also voiced support for the law for the first time. He had previously opposed it, citing risks to hostages’ safety, but said the situation has changed now that all living hostages have been returned.
“Previously I opposed the law because of the danger to hostages in Gaza,” Hirsch said. “Because all of the living hostages have been returned, the reality has changed. I spoke with the Prime Minister, and he supports the law.”
Hirsch added: “I view this law as a tool for dealing with terrorism. The coordinator for hostages and missing persons should be allowed to submit a classified report to the judge before sentencing a terrorist to death.”
In contrast, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who initiated the bill, strongly opposed leaving room for judicial discretion.
“There will be no judicial discretion,” he said. “Every terrorist must know that if he murders a Jew, there is only one punishment - the death penalty for terrorists.”