UN says Israel death penalty law targets Palestinians, erodes rights

UN says Israel death penalty law targets Palestinians, erodes rights A United Nations anti-racism body has warned that new Israeli legislation introducing the death penalty for certain attacks deepens discrimination against Palestinians and undermines fundamental rights. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said the measure “perpetuates racial discrimination against Palestinians and amounts to a grave erosion of human rights”. In a statement, the committee said: “The new law is a severe blow to human rights, rolling back Israel’s long-standing de facto moratorium on executions since 1962 and expanding the use of the death penalty in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.