Harris condemns Israeli death penalty move as 'horrifying' and 'despicable'

Tánaiste condemns Israeli vote on death penalty and warns attacks on peacekeepers could constitute war crimes

Israel's national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, center, and lawmakers celebrate after Israel's parliament passed a law approving the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, at the Knesset in Jerusalem Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Itay Cohen)

A decision by Israel to reintroduce the death penalty has been described as “horrifying” and “despicable” by Tánaiste Simon Harris.

On Monday evening, the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, voted to approve the death penalty by hanging for Palestinians convicted of murder or nationalist offences against Israelis.

The decision was criticised on Monday evening by foreign affairs minister Helen McEntee, who said that Ireland “condemns the law passed by the Israeli parliament to expand the scope of the death penalty and revive its implementation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory”.

“The right to life is a fundamental human right and Ireland is consistently and strongly opposed to the use of the death penalty in all cases and in all circumstances,” she said.

Speaking on Tuesday morning at the Central Bank in Dublin, the Tánaiste also condemned the action taken by the Israeli government.

“In relation to the vote in the Knesset, I think it's horrifying. I think it's despicable,” Mr Harris said.

“Ireland doesn't support the death penalty. But the idea that you'd apply the death penalty to anybody based on their ethnicity or nationality is particularly horrific.”

Mr Harris also said that he remains committed to the implementation of the Occupied Territories Bill, legislation aimed at banning the importation of goods from Israel into Ireland.

He noted that Ms McEntee had referred the proposed legislation to the Attorney General, Rossa Fanning, and is now awaiting further details following a request for clarification.

Elsewhere, three Indonesian peacekeepers have been killed while serving on a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. Irish peacekeepers also serve on the UNIFIL mission.

The UN said on Monday evening that the killings could constitute a war crime.

When asked if he thought the killings were war crimes, Mr Harris said such matters are “always adjudicated by international courts”.

He continued: “I would fully agree with the comments at the UN that attacks on peacekeepers could quite likely constitute war crime. Absolutely.

“It's obviously a matter for others to determine exactly what happened in any situation, but what I know is three peacekeepers have been killed in the last 24 hours, or just more than.

“This is horrific, and any killing of a peacekeeper, it does constitute a war crime.”