(Note: This post is Part 1 of the two-part series “Historical and Modern Voices of Reason Against Israel’s Death Penalty Bill.” Please see the subsequent blog post for the second installment.)

The ongoing public debate over Israel’s proposed death penalty for terrorists bill has highlighted a fundamental existential question for Israelis and Jews across the world. The bill’s opponents rightfully expose the false claim that the death penalty would deter terrorists and murderers. They demonstrate that executions would only incite more individuals among Israel’s enemies to seek martyrdom as “shaheeds.”

As the reality of this truth sinks in – and in an attempt to redirect the conversation and double-down on the pro-death approach – proponents of the bill then pivot to a more existential argument: “What is the downside,” they invariably ask, “to executing terrorists anyway?”

For them, it matters not that UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk just today denounced Israel for its proposed legislation to execute Palestinians. They ignore Türk’s reminder that “when it comes to the death penalty, the United Nations is very clear, and opposes it under all circumstances.”

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accuses individuals who make such comments of being “Hamas supporters.” This attitude begs the question: what responsibility, after all, does a society have to care for those who have committed the most horrific atrocities imaginable?

This profoundly consequential query merits a comprehensive response. It reflects a moral dilemma that has plagued humanity since time immemorial. As outlined in the Third Article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to life.” Over 70 percent of nations have realized this and abolished the death penalty in law or practice. Supporters of Israel’s death penalty bill, like Ben Gvir, now would do well to learn from some of the innumerable human rights luminaries across the centuries who have joined the ranks of civilized humanity in realizing why it indeed matters how a society treats the least among them.

Though I am the co-founder of “L’chaim! Jews Against the Death Penalty,” a group with thousands of members from across the world, I myself used to support the death penalty, as have others in our group. Then, I became a prison chaplain, which opened my eyes to the horrors of capital punishment. Since that time, I have learned about the countless prominent historical and contemporary figures who have also opposed the death penalty. I wish I had known of their positions sooner so that I might have seen the light of abolition at a younger age.

We all should know the caliber of the cross-section of human leaders united against the death penalty. This list is by no means comprehensive, nor are any of the individuals on it without foibles; yet each has served as a kind of leader for their nation and/or the human race in their own way. Collectively, they form a most formidable group who have devoted blood, sweat, tears, and volumes of writing to help our species evolve morally, ethically, and spiritually. May all Israelis now heed their call on the issue of state-sponsored murder.

Renowned Jewish Death Abolitionists: Elie Wiesel, Martin Buber, René Cassin, Albert Einstein

As the bill before the Knesset renders this very much a “Jewish issue,” let us begin with some of the more well-known Jewish abolitionists. These are, of course,  innumerable Jewish death penalty abolitionists who proliferate across the world today. These include L’chaim co-founder Abraham J. Bonowitz, Rabbi Shmuley Yanklowitz, former capital federal defense lawyer and writer Stephen A. Cooper, capital defense attorney Marshall Dayan, and film-maker Sabrina van Tassel, among many others.

Holocaust Survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) is perhaps the most acclaimed in this category. When asked about his view on capital punishment, he famously said, “Death should never be the answer in a civilized society.” He also said what has become our........

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