Degel HaTorah party announced Monday that it will vote against the proposed death penalty for terrorists, a bill championed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party.
The decision came after Rabbi Dov Landau, the leading authority of the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox stream, instructed the party’s lawmakers to oppose the bill due to “concern for bloodshed” — a religious concept known as “rodef,” which warns against actions that may lead to further loss of life.
“The rabbi believes that if the Arabs see us doing such a thing, it could provoke violence and endanger lives,” said sources close to Landau.
Ben-Gvir condemned the move, accusing Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni of “betraying his voters” and “siding with the Left.”
“Unfortunately, Gafni has again chosen his old alliance with [Ahmad] Tibi,” Ben-Gvir said. “His constant pandering to the Left is against the will of his constituents, who have suffered from terror attacks. The death penalty for terrorists brings justice and deterrence — it protects lives, including those of Haredi families murdered in attacks.”
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A discussion to advance the bill at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee last September
Agudat Yisrael, the Hasidic ultra-Orthodox faction, is expected to abstain by leaving the Knesset plenum during the vote, while the Sephardic Shas party has yet to announce its position.
Despite the divisions within the coalition, the bill — which will come to its first reading in the Knesset later Monday — is still expected to narrowly pass, possibly by a single vote.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has also expressed support for the bill but previously threatened to withhold his party’s cooperation with the coalition until tax relief legislation for reservists is advanced.
The proposed law seeks to impose the death penalty on convicted terrorists responsible for the murder of Israeli civilians, a move its supporters say will deliver justice and deterrence, while opponents warn it could escalate violence and harm Israel’s international standing.