The war waged by the State of Israel is an existential one, facing those who seek its destruction. Yet it is also a moral struggle, in which Israel has long distinguished itself by upholding ethical standards unmatched by its adversaries.
The adoption of the death penalty, particularly if applied exclusively to Palestinian terrorists, undermines a fundamental part of Israel’s heritage, rooted in both Jewish tradition and humanist values. No political calculation can justify such a step.
History has never regarded the death penalty as a mark of progress. On the contrary, it has consistently reflected weakness and a regression in democratic principles. The legacy of Robert Badinter is not merely a message to France, it carries universal significance.
I will never mourn the deaths of terrorists, neither in France, in Israel, or anywhere else. Yet I cannot accept the sight of elected officials celebrating, champagne glass in hand, the adoption of capital punishment.
I remain confident that Israeli democracy will be able to reject this law through legal means, as it runs counter to the democratic aspirations at the heart of Zionism. And I hope that, in time, all countries that still retain the death penalty will choose to abandon it.
It is precisely in the name of these same democratic and humanist values that we must continue to stand alongside Israel in its fight against terrorism, while also voicing our opposition to the adoption of the death penalty.
In France, we will continue to oppose the selective indignation of those who condemn Israel for considering the death penalty, yet fail to support it in its confrontation with terrorism.