Ultra-Orthodox party pulls support for ‘death penalty for terrorists’ bill over ongoing IDF draft row

The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party said it would not vote for a bill proposing to introduce the death penalty for terrorists on Monday, as it continued to boycott coalition votes over the IDF draft law controversy.

The bill is sponsored by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power party.

“Think about the 1,200 children, women, and men who were slaughtered, burned, raped, and tortured to death on October 7. Think about their families. About the widows, the orphans, and the bereaved parents. Look them in the eyes. I expect all factions of the house to set politics aside and support this law that makes a historic move against Arab terror,” Ben Gvir wrote on 𝕏.

“History will judge anyone who dares today to raise a finger against the death penalty law for terrorists! There will be no forgiveness for anyone who keeps the terrorists, those human beasts, from ascending the gallows.”

However, Rabbi Dov Landau, the leader of UTJ’s Degel HaTorah faction, instructed his lawmakers to vote against the law, citing concerns that the law could invite further conflict through repercussions from other Arab nations.

Sources close to Rabbi Landau told Ynet News, “If the Arabs see us doing something like this, it could lead to bloodshed.”

However, the Haredi parties have been boycotting most coalition legislation for the past weeks, excluding specific deals, as part of their strategy to force the coalition into further concessions in the new IDF draft law.

The other half of UTJ, Agudat Yisrael, is expected to boycott the vote altogether, while Shas has reportedly not yet decided its position.

Despite this, the bill could still pass its first reading, which doesn’t require the full coalition majority.

Ben Gvir in response accused Degel HaTorah’s political leader, MK Moshe Gafni, of cooperating with the left and Arab parties.

“Gafni’s constant flirting with the left contradicts the stance of his voters, who are persecuted by the left. The death penalty for terrorists would bring justice and deterrence – also for Haredi families murdered in attacks. I expect all ultra-Orthodox MKs to support this life-saving bill and not believe the false promises of the left and the Arab parties,” he said.

The government coalition is an alliance of the nominally secular Likud party with several parties representing different religiously observant communities.

In addition to the Ashkenazi UTJ and the Sephardic Shas party – both ultra-orthodox – the coalition includes the orthodox, “national religious” Jewish Power and Religious Zionism parties, most of whose constituents combine secular work and army service with a religiously observant lifestyle.

Religious Zionism’s chairman and Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced his own voting boycott last week due to a conflict over a tax benefits bill for reservists, but generally supports the death penalty bill and is expected to vote in favor.

The death penalty bill had already been shelved last Wednesday after the coalition whip could not ensure the necessary votes for it to pass.

The coalition has been crippled for several weeks now, with a compromise over the IDF draft bill nowhere in sight.