Reform Movement Statement on the “Death Penalty for Terrorists Law”

The Reform Movement strongly condemns the Knesset’s passage of the “Death Penalty for Terrorists Law”. This legislation represents a sharp and dangerous departure from Israel’s long-standing reluctance to employ capital punishment, used only in the most extraordinary circumstances in the state’s history. It also contradicts the Jewish tradition’s teachings about capital punishment that emphasize the rarity with which it should be applied.

We recognize, unequivocally, Israel’s right and obligation to defend its citizens from terror and violence. We mourn all those who have suffered devastating loss through the many terrorist attacks Israelis have suffered. At the same time, we affirm that the pursuit of justice must never abandon the core values that define a democratic and Jewish state.

Jewish tradition is unambiguous in its insistence on equal justice under the law:
 “תּוֹרָה אַחַת יִהְיֶה לָאֶזְרָח וְלַגֵּר” — “There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger” (Exodus 12:49). Any system of justice that is applied unevenly—whether in law or in practice— as this new law effectively does, undermines both democracy and Torah. It also raises legitimate questions of racism: As many have noted, the law’s provisions are such that Baruch Goldstein, the 1994 notorious, Jewish murderer of 29 Palestinians at prayer, would all but certainly not have been held to account under this law’s terms. And in this moment when Jewish extremists are acting with greater violence against Palestinians, typically with little or no accountability, this law further shames Israel’s justice system. Moreover, this legislation appears to be driven not by legitimate security needs but by political considerations. Security professionals have long questioned the deterrent value of capital punishment in cases of terrorism, and many argue that such measures risk inflaming tensions rather than enhancing safety. We are also horrified that some proponents of this law have chosen to wear noose pins on their lapels—a symbol that reflects a spirit of retribution rather than justice, and one that diminishes the moral seriousness required in matters of life and death.

The Reform Movement has long opposed the use of the death penalty. Rooted in our understanding of Torah and rabbinic tradition, we affirm the inherent dignity of every human being and the fallibility of any human system of judgment. The rabbis of the Talmud so constrained the use of capital punishment that they effectively rendered it nearly impossible to carry out, teaching that a court that executes even rarely is to be regarded with grave concern.

At a time of profound pain and fear, it is precisely our deepest values that must guide us. Policies of irreversible punishment risk further erosion of moral authority, escalation of violence, and damage to Israel’s democratic character and global standing.

We urge Israel’s leaders to reconsider this legislation, to uphold the principles of equal justice, and to pursue policies that ensure security while preserving the moral and democratic foundations of the State of Israel.

Union for Reform Judaism
Shelley Niceley Groff (she/her)
Chair

Rabbi Rick Jacobs (he/him)
President

American Conference of Cantors
Cantor Josh Breitzer (he/him)
President

Rachel Roth (she/her)
Chief Executive Officer

Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi David Lyon (he/him)
President

Rabbi Hara Person (she/hers)
Chief Executive