Israel has begun work on building a gallows, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir revealed this week, months after the passage of a new death penalty law for West Bank Palestinians convicted over deadly acts of terrorism.

In a video filmed at an undisclosed location, Ben Gvir pointed to a construction site where he declared “terrorists will be executed” by hanging. He said the facility would include viewing booths so the families of terror victims can watch them hang.

“We are implementing what we promised,” the far-right minister boasted.

Ben Gvir, who for his birthday this year had a cake with a noose on it, did not specify when the facility would be completed.

The death penalty law, which was approved in March and took effect in May, requires that a military court presiding over the prosecution of terrorists whose attacks resulted in the death of a victim apply the death penalty alone as the only available sentence, unless the court finds special circumstances allowing for life imprisonment.

The legislation has been widely condemned as discriminatory since it states explicitly that it does not apply to Israeli citizens or residents of Israel. It also only applies to terror trials in the military courts system, which is used for Palestinians, while Israelis are tried in Israel’s civilian court system.

It is unclear however if the legislation will lead to the automatic death penalty sentences. The condition requiring that the terror attack be carried out with the motive of “negating the existence of the State of Israel or the authority of the military commander in the area” may be hard to prove in court in many cases, leaving judges with room to impose a prison sentence instead.

Along with the death penalty law, Israel earlier this year passed legislation to establish a special military tribunal to try Palestinian terrorists........

© The Times of Israel