In response to Israel’s Death Penalty Expansion Bill
On March 30th, 2026, the Israeli Knesset voted to expand the use of the death penalty, specifically in occupied Palestinian territories.
In response, Catholic leaders and authorised representatives of Catholic organisations endorsed this call from Catholic leaders and organisations to express strong moral opposition to the legislation and call for immediate action to protect Palestinian life, uphold human dignity, ensure respect for international law and accountability.
CIDSE joined the call organised by Pax Christi International calling for the urgent protection of Palestinian life and rights.
1 April 2026
We, Catholic leaders and organisations committed to justice, peace, and the dignity of every human person, express our grave concern and unequivocal moral objection to the recent legislation expanding the use of the death penalty, particularly its application in the context of prolonged occupation¹.
This measure cannot be viewed in isolation or only as a legal matter². It must be understood against the reality of the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory and the persistent denial of the Palestinian people’s fundamental right to self-determination³. Any legal framework imposed in such a context carries profound moral and legal implications, especially when it concerns the irreversible taking of human life.
The legislation represents a deeply troubling and historic shift. By introducing and normalising the death penalty within military courts operating in occupied territory, it institutionalises a system of state-sanctioned killing on discriminatory grounds. The fact that Israeli citizens are excluded from these provisions highlights the inequity and discrimination inherent in this law. In the context of ongoing allegations of genocide, if intent is proven, a law designed specifically to target specifically Palestinians could constitute an act of genocide, being a part of a wider pattern of genocidal conduct in violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide⁴.
We are particularly alarmed by provisions that limit judicial discretion, restrict access to legal counsel, and accelerate the implementation of executions. Within a military court system already widely criticised for its lack of safeguards, such measures risk facilitating grave miscarriages of justice. These courts have a high conviction rate of 96%⁵, often relying on confessions obtained under coercive conditions, intensify fears that innocent lives may be irreversibly lost.
For Palestinians living under occupation, this legislation introduces urgent and existential threats to life and security. It contributes to an environment of fear and vulnerability, where legal protections are weakened and the possibility of redress is severely curtailed. Rather than advancing justice, such measures risk entrenching cycles of violence and injustice. As of March 2026, there are approximately 9446 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, many of whom are detained without trial or due process, who are now facing heightened risk under this bill⁶.
From the perspective of Catholic social teaching⁷, the use of the death penalty is inadmissible. It violates the dignity of the human person and undermines the moral responsibility of societies to protect life, even in the face of grave wrongdoing. This principle applies universally and without exception.
We therefore call for the urgent protection of Palestinian life and rights. This demands that all people and institutions act in solidarity, respecting due process, equal treatment under the law, and international human rights standards in occupied territories. The right to self-determination is sacred and must be upheld.
We call upon:
- States with political, economic, or military relations with Israel to review and suspend forms of cooperation that contribute to violations of Palestinian rights and ensure that any future or ongoing agreements are strictly conditional upon respect for international law, the protection of Palestinian life, and the safeguarding of human dignity in the occupied Palestinian territory.
- European Union institutions and member states to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement (EU-IAA) until Israel demonstrates full respect for Palestinian life, equal access to justice, and adherence to international humanitarian law in accordance with art.2 of such agreement.
- States and international partners to prioritise the protection of human rights organisations, civil society actors, and lawyers providing support to Palestinians, ensuring they can operate without intimidation, harassment, or obstruction.
- Diplomatic actors and international partners to coordinate pressure aimed at preventing executions and safeguarding legal protections for Palestinians under occupation, including the right to access independent legal representation.
- International institutions and states to support accountability mechanisms addressing violations arising from this legislation, ensuring that Palestinians can live in safety and dignity, free from discriminatory practices and threats to life.
- Catholic community to stand in solidarity with Palestinians under occupation, accompanying them in their struggle for life, dignity, and justice, and bearing witness against the expansion of the death penalty.
At this critical juncture, we reaffirm our commitment to nonviolence and justice. We stand in solidarity with those whose lives are placed at risk and call for renewed efforts towards a just and lasting peace grounded in human dignity.
Read the call in French, Spanish and Italian.
Support from Catholic leaders and authorised representatives of Catholic organisations is welcome until April 8th, 10am Brussels time, via the following website.
Signatories:
Catholic Leaders
- Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, Pax Christi International Co-president, Philippines
- Sr. Teresia Wamuyu Wachira, Pax Christi International Co-president, Kenya
- H.E. Michel Sabbah, former Pax Christi International President, Palestine
- Br. Jacek Orzechowski O.F.M., USA
- Fr. Caille Michel, Franciscan chaplain for Pax Christi, France
- Fr. John Heagle, Chair, Priests Against Genocide, USA
- Fr. Paul Lansu, Parish priest in Antwerp and Pax Christi International, Belgium
- Most Reverend William Nolan, Archbishop of Glasgow, Scotland
- Right Reverend Brian McGee, Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, Scotland
- Rt Revd James Curry, United Kingdom- England
- Sister Patricia L. Ryan, Peru
Catholic Organisations
- Arab Educational Institute – Pax Christi Bethlehem, Palestine
- Caritas Internationalis, Vatican City
- Caritas Middle East and North Africa, MENA region
- CIDSE – International Family of Catholic Social Justice Organisations, International
- Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente DHUMA, Perú
- Franciscan Peace Center, Clinton, Iowa, USA
- Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Loreto Generalate, International
- Kairos Italia, Italy
- Leadership Conference of Women Religious, USA
- Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Peru
- Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, USA
- National Justice and Peace Network, England and Wales
- Pax Christi England & Wales, England &Wales
- Pax Christi Flanders, Belgium
- Pax Christi France, France
- Pax Christi Germany, Germany
- Pax Christi Italia, Italy
- Pax Christi New York State, USA
- Pax Christi Scotland, Scotland
- Pax Christi USA, USA
- Quixote Center, USA
- Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team, USA
- Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa, USA
¹. “Israel: Discriminatory Death Penalty Bill Passes’, Human Rights Watch, March 30th 2026, https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/03/31/israel-discriminatory-death-penalty-bill-passes
². “Kairos Palestine II A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide”, Kairos Palestine, November 14th 2025, https://www.kairospalestine.ps/index.php/about-kairos/kairos-palestine-ii;“Israel/OPT: Newly adopted death penalty law must be repealed”, Amnesty International, March 20th 2026, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/03/israel-opt-newly-adopted-death-penalty-law-must-be-repealed/
³. “UNRWA chief ‘appalled’ by Israel’s ‘extraordinarily discriminatory’ death penalty law”, Beyza Binnur Donmez for Anadolu Agency, March 30th 2026, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/unrwa-chief-appalled-by-israels-extraordinarily-discriminatory-death-penalty-law/3886177
⁴. United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 1948, https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-prevention-and-punishment-crime-genocide
⁵. Israel turning execution of Palestinians into official state policy”, B’Tselem, March 30th 2026, https://www.btselem.org/press_releases/20260330_israel_turning_execution_of_palestinians_into_official_state_policy
⁶. “Israel turning execution of Palestinians into official state policy”, B’Tselem, March 30th 2026, https://www.btselem.org/press_releases/20260330_israel_turning_execution_of_palestinians_into_official_state_policy
⁷. Catechism of the Catholic Church, https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7Z.HTM;
Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti of The Holy Father Francis on Fraternity and Social Friendship, October 2020, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html
CIDSE contact: Dorien Vanden Boer, Israel & occupied Palestinian Territory Policy Officer, vandenboer(at)cidse.org
Cover photo by Pax Christi International.