Al-Azhar condemns new Israeli law allowing death penalty for Palestinian prisoners

Egypt's Al-Azhar, a leading institution for Sunni Islamic learning, has condemned a new Israeli law passed on Monday that allows for the death penalty exclusively for Palestinian prisoners. Al-Azhar expressed "disgust" at the perceived failure of the international legal system to prevent this legislation, which was approved by the Knesset. The institution called on the international community and human rights organizations to act immediately to halt these procedures, which it states disregard international law and norms, and to hold perpetrators accountable. The Cairo-based institution emphasized its rejection of all Israeli measures aimed at legalizing the killing of Palestinians, describing the law as a "bloody" revelation of the occupation's nature and a "desperate attempt" to provide legislative cover for criminal acts. The law, which does not apply to Israelis, has been widely criticized, with major Arab and Muslim countries condemning the move. A joint statement from Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and the UK expressed concern about the "de facto discriminatory character of the bill" and stated that its adoption would risk undermining Israel's commitments to democratic principles. The law makes the death penalty mandatory in the West Bank for "terrorism" and "anti-Israel crimes." The death penalty is illegal in Israel for ordinary crimes, with only one person, Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, having been executed in Israel's history. Only one Jewish citizen has ever