UTJ to Vote Against Death Penalty Bill, Deepening Coalition Rift

The Knesset is expected to vote Monday on the first reading of a bill proposing the death penalty for terrorists, a new law led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The debate has ignited a rift within the coalition, after Rabbi Dovid Lando, head of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, instructed Degel HaTorah lawmakers to vote against the proposal.

Rabbi Lando explained that such a law could “cause bloodshed” and serve as an unnecessary provocation from the Arab world. “If Arabs around the world see that we are doing such a thing, it could lead to violence,” he said. “In any case, no court is likely to approve the death penalty, so this would be a provocation for its own sake.”

Ben Gvir reacted sharply, accusing United Torah Judaism chairman MK Moshe Gafni of “once again choosing his old alliance with [Ahmad] Tibi,” one of the leaders of the Arab-majority Hadash-Ta’al party. “Gafni’s constant flirtation with the left is contrary to the position of his voters, who are persecuted by the left,” Ben Gvir said in a statement. “The death penalty for terrorists will bring both justice and deterrence, including for the families of Haredim who were murdered in terror attacks. I expect all Haredi MKs to support this life-saving law and not believe the false promises of the left and the Arab parties.”

The dispute has left coalition leaders scrambling ahead of the vote. If Shas abstains but other coalition parties back the bill, the measure could still pass by a single vote thanks to support from some opposition members. However, it remains unclear whether the coalition will risk a narrow outcome.

Adding to the pressure, the “Choosing Life Forum,” representing hundreds of bereaved families and terror victims, sent a letter Monday to United Torah Judaism lawmakers urging them not to oppose the bill. “We, the bereaved families and victims of terror, ask you with deep pain: do not vote against the death penalty for terrorists,” they wrote. The forum said the proposal represented “the beginning of justice and the end of despair,” stressing that “the law is not only a matter of justice — it is a matter of saving lives. It will deter potential terrorists, prevent future prisoner exchanges, and ensure that the blood of our loved ones was not spilled in vain.”

The families concluded: “You have no privilege to defeat this law. If you cannot support it, at least abstain. Do not stand with the murderers. Do not stand against the broken families who have already lost everything.”