INTERNACIONAL
Netanyahu backs Israel’s proposed death penalty for terrorists amid intense public debate
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A controversial bill proposing the death penalty for Palestinian terrorists — backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — has ignited intense public and political debate.
While Netanyahu initially refrained from publicly supporting the legislation, reportedly over concerns that it could affect hostages held in Gaza, his spokesperson has since confirmed his endorsement.
«In terms of the death-penalty bill, it’s known that the prime minister supports this, of course, as a punishment after a fair trial in our judicial system. Anyone that harms the State of Israel and its citizens will face consequences,» Shosh Bedrosian, spokesperson for foreign media at the Prime Minister’s Office, said.
ISRAEL’S COVERT CAMPAIGN TARGETS HAMAS TERRORISTS BEHIND OCT 7 MASSACRE
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press conference at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 28, 2023. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP)
Coalition lawmaker and bill sponsor Limor Son Har-Melech told Fox News Digital, «Although the law is not yet fully drafted, we want to deal with the phenomenon of terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens, and therefore, on the basic principles, we have determined that the law will apply to those who carry out terrorist attacks against citizens of the State of Israel.» Har-Melech’s party, Otzma Yehudit, has pushed the bill.
A document outlining the law’s basic principles states that the sentence «will be imposed by a simple majority without discretion, without the ability to modify the type of sentence, without the ability to mitigate the sentence by offering a deal or through pardon (subject to existing law).»
To prevent delays, the document adds that the execution «will be carried out within 90 days» and that it will be administered by the Prison Service «by means of a poison injection.»
Terrorists in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah celebrate the ceasefire on Jan. 19, 2025. (TPS-IL)
The document highlights the bill’s intended deterrent effect, noting that Israel has repeatedly been targeted by terror groups seeking to kidnap Israelis for prisoner exchanges. A 2011 deal, for instance, saw 1,027 Palestinian prisoners released in return for IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped in 2005. Assassinated Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar —widely viewed as the architect of the Oct. 7 massacre — was among those freed in that exchange.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israeli national security minister and Otzma Yehudit Party chief, told Fox News Digital, «The death penalty law for terrorists is necessary and extremely important. Whoever raped our daughters, murdered our elders, or slaughtered our children has no right to exist, no right to breathe air for a single second. His sentence is one: to put him on the gallows.»
He added, «This law is moral and ethical, and it sends a very clear message to our enemies: don’t mess with us. I will continue to advance this law with all my might. I will not let up until we pass it, God willing.»
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Hamas terrorists killed civilians, including women, children and the elderly, when they attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces via AP)
Dr. Amir Fuchs, a senior researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, told Fox News Digital that research indicates capital punishment does not significantly deter ordinary murderers, and its effect on terrorists — who already risk their lives — may be even weaker.
He also noted that the law provides no discretion for the court or prosecution, effectively making the death penalty mandatory in certain cases.
«It’s extreme and, I believe, unconstitutional. It also would not apply to Jewish terrorists, which is discriminatory,» Fuchs said.
«This assumption that we will execute tens of thousands of people is completely false. The law applies only to murderers. The idea that enacting the death penalty means all terrorists will be executed is simply not true,» he added.
Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Israel’s minister for the Negev, the Galilee and National Resilience, told Fox News Digital that the death penalty law for terrorists is important as it is intended to put an end to the kidnappings of Israelis.
«The only way there will be no more kidnappings of Israelis is if there are no more terrorists to release in exchange for them,» Wasserlauf said.
A bloodied handprint stains a wall in a Nir Oz house after Hamas terrorists attacked this kibbutz days earlier near the border of Gaza. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
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The death penalty has been used only twice in Israel’s history — most notably in the 1962 execution of SS officer Adolf Eichmann, a chief architect of the Holocaust.
United Torah Judaism lawmaker Yaakov Asher, who opposes the bill, told Fox News Digital that his objection is rooted in the principle of pikuach nefesh, a fundamental principle in Jewish law that prioritizes the preservation of human life above almost all other religious commandments.
Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech, left, sponsored the capital punishment bill for terrorists. (Matan Golan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
«Rabbi Dov Lando instructed us to oppose it, warning that even raising the issue — let alone legislating it — could trigger a wave of terrorism against Jews,» Asher said. «There is also the halakhic concern of ‘provoking the nations of the world,’ which requires weighing whether any measure would protect Jews or, God forbid, endanger even one.»
The Hadash–Ta’al faction in the Knesset, led by Dr. Ahmed Tibi, issued an official statement denouncing the bill as discriminatory and incendiary.
«It is clear to us that the death penalty will not deter; on the contrary, it will produce the opposite effect and may increase attacks — something we oppose as a group. We want to advance a political process that will end the conflict,» the statement said.
«All human rights values and norms fundamentally oppose the death penalty from a humane perspective,» it continued. «We know from our parliamentary and political work that the proposed bill is nothing less than an act of vengeance that deepens hatred and fuels an atmosphere of incitement and extremism among both people,» it added.
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The bill still requires two additional readings in the Knesset plenum to pass and remains subject to possible amendments beforehand.
israel,terrorism,conflicts,hamas,benjamin netanyahu
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Democratic lawmakers in one major blue state are facing backlash over their latest attempt to blunt federal immigration enforcement through a new bill crafted around a vulgar acronym.
The F—ICE Act, with the acronym spelled out in practice, is officially the «Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act» and would permit civil action for violations of the U.S. Constitution related to immigration enforcement. The measure was introduced after a clash between a federal agent and a democratic socialist councilman.
Tensions between local and state officials and DHS had soared this month after federal authorities reportedly detained nearly a dozen people on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail in Jersey City. Jake Ephros, a Democratic Socialist councilman who went to the scene, was rebuffed by a federal agent who told him, «I don’t need a warrant, bro.»
Assembs. Ravi Bhalla and Katie Brennan, two Democrats from neighboring Hoboken, crafted the F—ICE Act in response to the incident. Bhalla also announced several other bills seeking to restrict New Jersey’s cooperation with the federal government, according to the Hudson County View.
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New Jerseyans protest ICE. (Charly Triballeau/Getty Images)
Bhalla said that when he was mayor of neighboring Hoboken, his first move was to enact a sanctuary city ordinance. The city is famously home to Frank Sinatra and sits across the Hudson River from Midtown Manhattan.
«ICE has no place in our communities,» he said in a statement. «Now, the stakes are even higher, and it is incumbent on all of us to use the power we have to keep our residents safe.»
Brennan cited Ephros’ run-in with ICE in comments to People, adding that she cannot «sit back and do nothing while they violate people’s constitutional rights.»
«These bills strengthen local protections and make sure these agents of chaos face accountability. We have to use the full force of our state government to protect the people of New Jersey.»
Brennan told NJ Advance Media that while critics have voiced concern about her acting «unbecoming» and «unladylike,» she said it was fellow Hoboken Democrat state Sen. Raj Mukherji who came up with the acronym.
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New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Mukherji has said ICE has sown «seeds of chaos» nationwide.
Not all lawmakers were on board, including some from the state’s more conservative, rural northwest.
«So, they’re doing acronyms now,» said Assemb. Michael Inganamort, R-Chester.
«This sort of radicalism is the inevitable result of an unchecked, 25-year Democratic Majority. It’s what our Republican Minority stands against and why elections matter,» Inganamort said in a statement on X.
Assemb. Dawn Fantasia, R-Sussex, said the bill’s title is «wild» but the premise is «wilder.»
«[I] don’t have the text yet, but if it means what it sounds like, that’s illegal entry followed by a state-created pathway to sue over enforcement,» she said.
«If I was a bettin’ woman, I’d guess NJ taxpayers will be footing the legal bill.»
«Katie and Ravi need their mouths washed out with soap,» quipped conservative commentator Matt Rooney of «Save Jersey.»
Assemb. Paul Kanitra, R-Point Pleasant Beach, suggested the state should deal with the F—ICE Act the same way it deals with people who submit applications for off-color tags.
«Much like the state DMV has to turn down and in some cases even repossess license plates that are deemed vulgar, this should suffer the same fate,» Kanitra said.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill could not immediately be reached for comment.
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In one of her first acts in Trenton, Sherrill signed Executive Order 12, which restricts ICE activities on state property and creates a portal for residents to report immigration enforcement in their areas.
«I take seriously my responsibility to keep New Jersey residents safe and, as a Navy veteran and former federal prosecutor, my commitment to upholding the Constitution will never waver. This executive order will prohibit ICE from using state property to launch operations,» Sherrill said in a statement at the time.
homeland security,mikie sherrill,bills,new jersey,sanctuary cities
INTERNACIONAL
Tras la muerte de «El Mencho», quiénes son los posibles sucesores en la cúpula del Cártel Jalisco de México
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Peter Mandelson, a former British ambassador to the United States who was fired from his post after his ties to Jeffrey Epstein emerged, was arrested in England on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, authorities said.
London’s Metropolitan Police said «officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office» at an address in north London and has been taken to a police station to be interviewed.
Police did not name Mandelson, in keeping with British police practice, but the suspect in the case has previously been identified as Mandelson.
Mandelson was fired from his diplomatic post in September after materials were publicized revealing his links to Epstein.
AS EPSTEIN-LINKED APPOINTMENT SPARKS BACKLASH, UK PM STARMER FACES PARTY REVOLT AMID RESIGNATION CALLS
Peter Mandelson is seen outside his home in northwest London, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (James Manning/PA via AP)
Documents cited by Fox News Digital report Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction on sex offenses involving minors, and that Epstein transferred about $75,000 in 2003 and 2004 to accounts connected to Mandelson or his husband.
Police opened a criminal probe when more details emerged in documents released by the U.S. Justice Department last month.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, talks with Britain’s ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence in Washington, on Feb. 26, 2025. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)
Police are investigating Mandelson over documents suggesting he passed sensitive government information to Epstein a decade and a half ago. He does not face any allegations of sexual misconduct.
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Mandelson’s arrest comes four days after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, was arrested on suspicion of a similar offense related to his friendship with Epstein.
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, younger brother of Britain’s King Charles, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaves Aylsham Police Station in a vehicle, following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office in Aylsham, Britain, Feb. 19, 2026. His arrest came after the U.S. Justice Department released more records tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. (Reuters/Phil Noble)
This is a developing news story check back for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
united kingdom,world politics,crime world,world
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