Under the cover of war, the Knesset inches closer to passage of its racist, dangerous, vengeful, and unjust bill establishing the death penalty for terrorists. It does so as the Jewish world begins preparations for Pesach (Passover), arguably its most widely-celebrated holiday. This consummate festival of liberation derives its name from a climactic point in the narrative of the vaunted Exodus, when Malakh HaMavet (the “Angel of Death”) passed over (pasach) the houses of the enslaved Israelites. In a wanton act of desecration of this sacred season, proponents of this monstrous legislation seek to invite back into Eretz Yisrael the manmade version of this Malach HaMavet. Indeed, it was none other than death penalty abolitionist Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) who aptly referred to capital punishment as just that: the “Angel of Death.” We, the thousands of members of “L’chaim! Jews Against the Death Penalty” in Israel and across the world, carry Wiesel’s torch once again now. We shall not let this abomination come to pass without sounding the alarm as loudly as possible this Pesach.

The horrific Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7th, 2023, along with other murderous acts of terror, have produced unimaginable suffering throughout Israel. Many surviving victims and their loved ones understandably advocate for the death of the terrorists who ripped apart their lives. In such extreme circumstances, the urge for vengeance is naturally overwhelming. It is a force that those of us who have never endured such losses ourselves could ever begin to fathom. Civilized societies bear a responsibility to uphold ethical standards to protect and set appropriate boundaries for such victims, lest their justifiable feelings unintentionally endanger themselves and society as a whole.

And yet, instead of holding this moral line, power-hungry politicians like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have sought to bow to the basest of human impulses in order to gain votes at the polls. It is entirely appropriate this Passover to equate their unconscionable attitude with the hardened heart of yet another politician, Pharaoh,........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)