The Israeli Knesset voted today, Wednesday, in preliminary reading, on a bill that would impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners accused of carrying out attacks that killed Israelis.

The Israeli extremist security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, presented the draft resolution to the Knesset and insisted on putting it to a vote, despite the declaration by the chief rabbi in Israel of his opposition to it for religious reasons.


Inciting race

In what appears to be a race between Israeli officials to incite against the Palestinians, the American Axios website quoted Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as saying that "the village of Huwwara must be erased from the land, and that the Israeli government must do so."

This was also preceded by statements by the Minister of Public Diplomacy in the Israeli occupation government, Galit Distel Atbarian, in which she said that "the Palestinians are brainwashed killers and programmed to shed Jewish blood from a young age."

"Do not be deceived and do not be naive, it is not a war on land, it is a basic religious war," the minister continued in a video clip she posted on Twitter, describing supporters of the Palestinian cause as "hypocrites who wake up to condemn violence here only when it fits their narrative."

Meanwhile, Israeli Attorney General Gali Bahrav-Mayara today, Wednesday, directed the police to investigate Knesset MP Zvika Vogel on suspicion of incitement to terrorism after he said he wanted to see the Palestinian town of Hawara in the northern West Bank burned.

The Israeli "Kan" channel, affiliated with the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, said that the Public Prosecutor directed the investigation of Fogel from the "Jewish Power" party headed by the extremist National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir.


war crimes

And yesterday, Tuesday, 22 Israeli experts in international law called on the Attorney General to investigate Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, MKs Vogel and his party colleague Limor Son Har-Melech for "causing war crimes."

The experts also mentioned that Smotrich, who is in charge of the Israeli Civil Administration - the executive arm of the Israeli government in the West Bank, retweeted a tweet by the deputy head of the Settlement Council in the northern West Bank, David Ben Zion, in which he wrote, "The village of Hawara must be erased today."

Smotrich also holds the position of minister in the Ministry of Defense, which was created to be responsible for the West Bank, settlers and construction in the West Bank, according to the coalition agreement that led to the formation of the government.


Hawara attack

And last Sunday, hundreds of settlers attacked the town of Hawara and a number of neighboring Palestinian villages in the northern West Bank, killing a Palestinian, injuring dozens, and burning dozens of homes and cars owned by Palestinians.

The Israeli authorities did not announce the arrest or prosecution of the settlers responsible for the attacks in the Palestinian towns.

Axios quoted the US State Department as saying that Israeli forces do not prevent settler attacks, and that Israel rarely arrests or accuses settlers who commit acts of violence against Palestinians.

The Special Envoy of the US Administration for Palestine Affairs, Hadi Amr, described the attacks carried out by Israeli settlers on the town of Hawara, in the northern West Bank, as barbaric riots.