31/03/2026 President
“I am deeply disappointed by last night’s vote in the Knesset, which seriously jeopardises Israel’s observer status with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,” said PACE President Petra Bayr, reacting to the Israeli parliament’s approval of a new law expanding the death penalty in a way which discriminates against Palestinians.
“This is a serious setback, and distances Israel from the values of the Council of Europe, which stands strongly against the death penalty anywhere and in all circumstances. I hope that the Israeli Supreme Court will now reject this law, which is a violation of Israel’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including the prohibition on discrimination,” she added.
“This setback and its repercussions on Israel’s observer status will most likely be raised during a coming debate on the abolition of the death penalty by the Assembly on Wednesday 22 April in Strasbourg.”