Rome, 29 March (LaPresse) – The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the UK have issued a joint statement expressing their concern over the possible adoption of a bill in Israel that would broaden the scope of the death penalty. “We, the Foreign Ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, express our deep concern regarding a bill that would significantly expand the scope for imposing the death penalty in Israel and which could be passed next week,” the statement reads. “We are particularly concerned about the de facto discriminatory nature of the bill. The adoption of this bill would risk undermining Israel’s commitments to democratic principles. The death penalty is an inhuman and degrading form of punishment, devoid of any deterrent effect. For this reason, we oppose the death penalty, regardless of the circumstances anywhere in the world,” the statement continues. ‘The rejection of the death penalty is a fundamental value that unites us. We urge Israeli decision-makers in the Knesset and the Government to abandon these plans,’ the statement concludes.
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