Following the U.S' decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing the holy city as Israel's capital, Israel has faced protests across Palestine and in Jerusalem. People in the Muslim world as well as Europeans have reacted angrily against the decision and Israel's reckless interventions in the protests. In a vote at the United Nations, the U.S. and Israel only gained support from a handful of countries.
Israel policies are also harshening, with Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman proposing that the use of capital punishment should be expanded. The Knesset is due to vote on the proposal on three rounds. The first round will take place today. Israel has assassinated influential Palestinian figures but it has not used capital punishment since 1962 when a Nazi commander was hanged. Liberman's proposal would allow judges to hand down capital punishment for most Palestinian prisoners as generally they are charged with terrorism offenses.
Not all Israeli politicians agree with Liberman, though. Zionist Union Deputy Tzipi Livni said: "Liberman's bill is political and not good for security, because if there was a security need for it, security forces would have demanded it, but they don't want it." Defending his proposal, Liberman said: "The U.S. also has such legislation. Thus, it's appropriate for Israel to follow such a powerful democratic system in the world. … Every convicted terrorist is used by terrorist organizations kidnapping civilians and soldiers for prisoner swaps."
"The draft bill needs to be voted on in three rounds in order to be approved by parliament. Israel does not have the death penalty, but convicts may face prison sentences of hundreds of years. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this year that it is time to impose the death penalty on Palestinians that attack Israelis," Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Israel has also extended the detention of some prisoners, including a Palestinian teen girl. "An Israeli court on Monday extended the custody of three Palestinian women detained after a viral video of an alleged assault on Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank, the police said. They said the Ofer military court ruled that Ahed Tamimi, 17, her mother Nariman Tamimi, 43, and cousin Nour Naji Tamimi, 21, would remain in custody until Thursday," Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. Bassem Tamimi, Ahed's father, told reporters that he was prevented from seeing his daughter during the trial. "Ahed looked so tired. I wasn't even allowed to see her. Any time I tried to speak to her, the Israeli officers would tell me to shut up and would threaten to kick me out of the court."
An Israeli lawmaker has also verbally assaulted families of Palestinian prisoners. Calling the families dogs and terrorists, Oren Hazan shouted at one woman, the mother of a prisoner: "Your son is a dog. He is a dog. You come to visit the scum who are sitting here in prison whom you see as your family members." Although the Palestinian women tried to talk to him politely, he said: "I will make sure that you are not allowed to visit anymore. We will do everything so that you won't enter. You are not wanted here. You educated your son to murder and we will show your son to the ground."
