Concrete and Condemnation: Israel’s New Gallows and the Illusion of Equal Justice

Statecraft usually requires discretion, but Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir prefers social media showmanship. In a recent video, he stood before heavy machinery at an undisclosed site near a prison, proudly pointing to the foundations of a new gallows complex. This facility will feature viewing booths for the families of victims. For a man who celebrated his fiftieth birthday in May with a noose-decorated cake, the concrete realization of his political promises is a crowning achievement.

He boasted to his followers about fulfilling pledges to worsen prison conditions for terrorists and pass capital punishment legislation. The legal architecture enabling this construction cleared the Knesset earlier this year by 62 to 48 votes. It compels military courts to impose the death penalty on convicted terrorists, leaving life imprisonment as an option only under exceptional circumstances.

Crucially, the law contains a highly specific caveat. Capital punishment applies exclusively to murders committed with the explicit intent to deny the existence of the Israeli state. This linguistic needle-threading ensures Palestinian offenders face the hangman, while Jewish extremists accused of similar violence do not. Amnesty International criticized the legislation, arguing it strips away fair trial safeguards and reinforces a discriminatory legal framework.

Ben-Gvir’s tenure since 2022 has been defined by provocation. His criminal record includes convictions for racism incitement, obstructing police, and supporting the banned Kach terrorist organization, drawing sanctions from the UK, France, and Ireland. Recently, he advocated for the targeted killing of thirty to forty people per night in Gaza, stating the targets need not pose an immediate threat because they do not deserve to live.

Global condemnation was swift. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the demands appalling, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned them as international law violations. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot officially labeled the comments unacceptable and inhuman. Paris, which along with Ireland and the UK recently sanctioned Ben-Gvir, remains eager to lecture Jerusalem, yet the minister appears to treat such international outrage as a political asset rather than a deterrent.

The gallows controversy coincides with friction over Israel's territorial ambitions. Following new tenders for the E1 settlement block outside Jerusalem, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband summoned Israel’s charge d’affaires. He officially condemned the expansion as an unacceptable and destructive act that risks severing the West Bank from East Jerusalem. Miliband reiterated that such developments breach international law. Israel's current administration is rapidly cementing a reality on the ground that leaves little room for traditional diplomacy.

Written by Andreas Hofer andreas.hofer@alpineweekly.com