Transcript [00:00] The Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, [00:02] recently voted just the other day, voted [00:04] on a bill [00:06] to hand out death penalties for [00:10] terrorism. And Piers Morgan, Piers [00:13] Morgan had Mustafa Barghouti, a [00:16] well-known Palestinian activist and [00:19] spokesman type person from the Barghouti [00:22] family, one of the most important [00:24] terrorist families in the Palestinian [00:27] society. So, Mustafa Barghouti was on [00:29] Piers Morgan, and Piers asked him about [00:33] this law. I'm going to play the clip, [00:35] and then I will [00:38] have a few things to say about it, let's [00:39] just say. So, let's have a look here at [00:43] Piers and Mustafa Barghouti. [00:44] >> want to just read what you published on [00:47] X. You said the Israeli Knesset's [00:48] approval of a law allowing the execution [00:50] of Palestinian prisoners is a racist, [00:53] fascist, and dangerous escalation that [00:55] directly threatens thousands of [00:56] Palestinian detainees, and further [00:58] entrenches Israel's apartheid system and [01:00] policy of collective punishment. And [01:03] that comes along with Amnesty [01:05] International, who said the law creates [01:07] a dual legal system because Palestinians [01:10] in the West Bank face a death penalty as [01:12] a default in military courts. Well, [01:15] Israeli settlers in the same territory [01:16] are tried in civilian courts, where the [01:19] penalty is discretionary and harder to [01:21] apply. So, there is a two-tier legal [01:23] system clearly [01:25] being established here. What is your [01:28] response to this? [01:30] Well, exactly. [01:32] Two different systems of laws for two [01:34] people living in the on the same land is [01:36] apartheid. That's how you classify and [01:39] identify apartheid. [01:41] But, it is a much worse apartheid than [01:43] the one that prevailed in South Africa. [01:46] Even in the worst time of South African [01:48] apartheid system, nobody dared to say [01:51] that if a black man kills a white man, [01:54] he will be executed, but if a white man [01:56] kills a black man, he will not be [01:59] judged. That's exactly what this Israeli [02:02] law says. It's first of all, it's [02:04] illegal by international law because [02:06] Israel has no jurisdiction over occupied [02:09] territories, [02:10] as international law says. Second, it is [02:13] legalizing what is already going on of [02:17] executing Palestinians. You know, since [02:19] October 7th, [02:21] in Israeli jails, in the West Bank, and [02:24] in Israel, 90 Palestinian detainees have [02:27] already been killed, either by torture, [02:31] either by starvation or by deprivation [02:33] of medical treatment. And more than [02:36] that, [02:37] uh to to prove that it is a system of [02:40] discrimination, you have there are two [02:42] very interesting figures. 99% of [02:45] Palestinian cases [02:47] taken to Israeli courts courts are [02:49] convicted, 99%. [02:52] While 96% of any Israelis attacking [02:56] Palestinians or conducting violence [02:58] will never be convicted. As a matter of [03:01] fact, out of 10,000 cases of Israeli [03:04] terrorists, settlers, gangs attacking [03:07] Palestinians, out of 10,000 cases, only [03:10] eight were convicted. So, clearly, this [03:13] is a system of discrimination. But, more [03:16] than that, I said that this law shows [03:20] how far and how fast the Israeli [03:22] establishment has gone in the direction [03:25] of fascism. [03:26] Imagine, not only they passed such [03:29] a terrible law, which is considered a [03:32] war crime by international community, [03:35] but more than that, they are celebrating [03:37] it, drinking drinks, [03:40] celebrating the passage of the law, and [03:42] have putting on their chests, men and [03:44] women, Israeli members of the [03:46] parliament, putting on their chest, [03:49] whether they are men or women, [03:51] symbols and pins of hanged man's knots, [03:55] the rope that they will use to hang [03:57] Palestinians. [03:59] >> Totally. And more than that, is that the [04:02] Israeli that Israel that the some [04:04] Western governments say it's the only [04:06] democracy in the Middle East? Is this [04:09] democracy? Well, it's not it's not [04:11] democracy. I think when you have a [04:12] two-tier legal system, that is not [04:14] democracy. You know, I live I live in an [04:17] actual democracy here in the UK, and [04:19] everybody is treated the same way under [04:21] the law. There is no two-tier law. If [04:23] there was a law brought in specifically [04:26] for one ethnic group that didn't apply [04:28] to others, all hell would break loose. [04:31] And yet, this seems to have been widely [04:33] accepted and applauded by most of the [04:36] Israeli population, according to the [04:37] polls I've seen. [04:39] And that's what worries me more than [04:41] anything else. It's not just the Israeli [04:43] government that has moved towards [04:45] fascism. It's not just the Israeli [04:48] governing establishment, including [04:51] two-thirds of the Israeli members of the [04:53] Knesset, the Israeli Jewish members of [04:55] the Knesset, but it's the whole society. [04:58] 90% of the society supports the war now. [05:02] And the vast majority support such a [05:05] terrible law. That is dangerous. If I [05:09] was an Israeli, I would worry very much [05:10] because this fascism will not only hurt [05:14] Palestinians and kill Palestinians as [05:16] they are doing, it will eat up the [05:19] Israel from within. And that's why [05:22] why some some some people in Israel are [05:24] protesting because fascism is never good [05:27] for anybody, and this fascism would not [05:30] have grown so fast and so big if it [05:33] wasn't for the world's abstention from [05:36] establishing sanctions on Israel for [05:38] committing genocide, for committing [05:41] collective punishment and starvation [05:42] against the people of Gaza, for allowing [05:46] Israeli terrorist gangs to move around [05:49] and attack every day 10 to 12 [05:51] communities, burning houses, burning [05:54] cars, shooting people. [05:56] That's that's the result of the [05:59] of of the weakness of the international [06:01] community and the absence of sanctions [06:04] on Israel. I just want to just read what [06:12] Let me unmute this. Yeah, that's Mustafa [06:13] Barghouti. [06:15] And so, here what he says there. Now, [06:17] there was one major detail [06:20] He might consider it a minor detail. [06:22] There was one detail of this law, a kind [06:24] of important detail, I should say, that [06:26] was left out of his entire comment and [06:29] analysis. So, let me show that to you. [06:33] And before we do that, though, please [06:35] make sure to go over to Israel 365 [06:37] charity and help us out there. We're [06:39] helping a lot of families who are [06:42] struggling with the results of this Iran [06:44] war, of the missile attacks, and all the [06:46] damage that's being done. Kids home with [06:49] their moms often who can't work, [06:51] husbands away fighting the war, [06:54] in reserve duty, a lot of needs on the [06:57] ground, injuries, loss of property, [07:00] emotional needs, and social services, [07:03] and the the various nonprofits on the [07:05] ground are stretched thin, and we are [07:07] stepping up to the plate to help them [07:09] out, to support the Israeli home front [07:11] at this time. So, go to [07:12] Israel365charity.com, [07:14] click Israel under fire, and help us [07:17] with this with this all-important [07:20] effort. What I'm going to do now [07:22] is [07:23] very simple. I'm going to read you the [07:25] law. [07:26] I translated it into English, [07:28] and here's what it says. So, this is [07:30] this is from the Knesset website. Okay, [07:33] and here's the text of the law in [07:34] Hebrew, and I'll tell you exactly what [07:37] this law actually says. Okay, here's [07:40] what it says. [07:43] Um here we go. [07:46] The Knesset plenum approved in a second [07:48] and third reading, the way a law gets [07:50] passed in Israel, it has to be it's read [07:52] three times, each time it's voted on, [07:55] changes are made, and then it's voted on [07:57] again. [07:58] Um it's in the second and third [08:00] readings, the death penalty for [08:01] terrorists bill 5786 2026, proposed by [08:05] member of Knesset Limor Son Har-Melech, [08:07] MK Nissim Vaturi, and a group of Knesset [08:10] members. [08:11] 62 members of Knesset supported the [08:13] proposal, compared to 48 who opposed it, [08:16] one abstained. [08:17] The opposition's reservations to the [08:19] bill were rejected. Now, here's what the [08:21] law proposes. You ready? It proposed to [08:24] determine that the Minister of Defense [08:26] shall instruct the commander of the IDF [08:28] forces in the region to amend the order [08:31] regarding security provisions applicable [08:33] in the Judea and Samaria area, such that [08:37] here we go. It's for [08:39] residents of Judea and Samaria, that's [08:42] what's called the West Bank, Palestinian [08:43] areas, [08:44] excluding an Israeli citizen or resident [08:47] of Israel, we'll get to that in a bit, [08:49] who intentionally caused the death, [08:51] intentionally killed [08:54] a person in the act of terrorism, shall [08:57] be subject only to the death penalty [08:59] unless the military court finds that [09:01] there are special circumstances [09:03] justifying the imposition of a sentence [09:05] of life imprisonment. Okay, so the minor [09:09] detail that Barghouti left out, that [09:11] Piers Morgan didn't mention, is that [09:12] this law only applies to murderers. [09:16] Murderers. This is death penalty for [09:18] committing murder [09:20] when it's when it is [09:22] defined as an act of terrorism. We'll [09:25] get into that more in a bit, too. It is [09:27] further proposed to determine that the [09:29] authority of a military court to impose [09:31] this sentence shall not be contingent [09:33] upon a request by the prosecution, a [09:36] unanimous decision of the panel, [09:39] or the requirement that the judges be of [09:41] a rank no lower than lieutenant colonel, [09:43] meaning [09:44] um [09:45] that [09:46] they're removing some of the [09:47] restrictions that made it more difficult [09:49] to give a death penalty to terrorists in [09:51] the past. It also proposed to determine [09:53] that the commander of the IDF forces in [09:54] the the shall not be authorized to [09:57] pardon, commute, or mitigate a death [09:58] sentence imposed by this offense. This [10:01] offense being murder. In addition, it is [10:03] proposed to amend the penal law such [10:05] that a person who causes the death of [10:07] another with the intent to negate the [10:10] existence of the state of Israel under [10:13] circumstances of an act of terrorism [10:15] shall be subject only to death or life [10:17] imprisonment. It is also proposed to [10:19] determine that the authority of the [10:21] court to impose the death penalty for [10:23] offenses under the penal law under the [10:25] law for the prevention of punishment of [10:27] the crime of genocide shall not be [10:29] contingent upon a request by the [10:30] prosecution. [10:32] It is further proposed to determine that [10:33] a death sentence under this law shall be [10:36] carried out by hanging within 90 days [10:39] from the day it becomes final and to [10:40] authorize the prime minister to request [10:43] that the court delay the execution for [10:45] special reasons for a cumulative period [10:47] not exceeding 180 days. We don't want [10:51] murderers sitting in our prisons [10:53] long-term. [10:55] That's what we don't want and then [10:56] ultimately getting released in prisoner [10:57] exchanges. That's the idea here. Okay, [11:00] it is also proposed that to amend the [11:02] basic law, the government, that's kind [11:04] of like the Israeli sort of like [11:05] constitution, such that the government [11:07] shall not be authorized to order the [11:09] release from imprisonment of a person [11:11] convicted, suspected, or accused of an [11:14] offense punishable by death. In other [11:15] words, murder. In addition, it is [11:17] proposed to amend the prisons ordinance [11:20] and establish arrangements regarding the [11:22] conditions of separation of a person [11:24] sentenced to death, restrictions on [11:26] access to them, and the confidentiality [11:29] of the execution. [11:31] Finally, it is proposed to amend the [11:32] victims of the crime rights law such [11:36] that the right of victims of the offense [11:38] to receive updates from the Israel [11:40] prison service regarding the date of [11:42] execution shall be anchored. Okay, that [11:45] is the translation into English of this [11:48] law. Now, [11:50] let me just make this [11:51] real, real simple for the Piers Morgans [11:55] of the world who don't quite understand [11:58] how the world actually works. You see, [12:01] this is a death penalty [12:03] for committing murder [12:06] when it is an act of terrorism. And why [12:09] does it exclude Israeli citizens? Oh, [12:11] you have different laws for Israelis and [12:12] for and for for Palestinians? Because [12:15] Okay. [12:17] You ever notice that in a war when you [12:18] kill people, you don't have to put them [12:20] on trial and have witnesses and have a [12:21] court case and find evidence? But you [12:23] kill your enemy in war. Why? Because [12:25] it's a war. Because you're fighting [12:27] someone who is trying to destroy your [12:29] country. That is the way war works. [12:32] Now, terrorism, you know, in the [12:34] old-fashioned world, it would be like, [12:35] you're either at war or everyone's, you [12:37] know, on you go out to the battlefield [12:39] with your with your swords and your [12:40] horses and you go to war. Well, war is a [12:43] bit more complicated when you have this [12:44] thing called terrorism. What is it [12:46] exactly? Well, you have people who live, [12:48] in the case of the Palestinians, within [12:50] the borders of our country and our um [12:54] our domain [12:56] and they don't identify as citizens of [12:59] our country. They don't identify with [13:00] our country at all. In fact, they openly [13:02] say they want to destroy the country and [13:05] they commit acts of war against it. So, [13:07] what's an act of war? [13:09] What's an act of war against the country [13:10] from within? It's what we call [13:12] terrorism, you see. So, when they commit [13:14] acts of murder in the context of wanting [13:16] to destroy the state of as the state of [13:18] Israel, we're putting that into a [13:19] different category. It's not a normal [13:21] murder. It's not a normal act of [13:23] violence. It's actually an an assault on [13:26] the state of Israel. But it is a murder. [13:28] These are all about murders. It's about [13:30] putting murderers to death. Okay? It's [13:32] not all that controversial to put have a [13:34] death penalty for murderers under [13:37] circumstances where the murder was in [13:39] the context of wanting to actually [13:42] destroy the state of Israel. What? Oh, [13:44] they they should be given the same [13:45] rights as as loyal Israeli citizens? [13:48] I mean, or even Israeli citizens who [13:49] commit crimes. It Again, these are [13:52] people who who refuse to accept the [13:55] state of Israel. They want to destroy [13:57] the state of Israel. And he's [13:58] complaining that they don't have the [13:59] same rights as Israeli citizens. That's [14:01] not apartheid. That's saying you you we [14:04] have this unique situation where we have [14:06] we have a population of sworn enemies of [14:08] the state of Israel. Look, [14:10] let me say one more thing about this, [14:11] okay? [14:12] And this should really be uh [14:14] uh you know, the last thing I I I say [14:16] about it. It's so ridiculous. You're [14:17] completely He's saying that like, "Oh my [14:19] gosh, Israel is saying it's the only [14:20] democracy and they're going to have this [14:21] death penalty. They're going to have [14:23] this death penalty for you you know, for [14:25] you know, for for Palestinians, for [14:27] murderers." [14:29] Why isn't he complaining about the fact [14:31] that uh there's a death penalty [14:34] um for apostasy, for leaving Islam? If [14:38] you're a if you're a Muslim and you [14:39] choose not to be a Muslim anymore and [14:41] it's found out in Iran, Afghanistan, [14:45] Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Mauritania, [14:49] Qatar, and Yemen, in all of those [14:52] countries, there is a death penalty on [14:54] the books for leaving Islam. Why is that [14:58] not uh you know, you know, Mustafa [15:00] Barghouti he should be like offended [15:03] like, "This is so anti-democratic." Or [15:04] let's Oh, here's an even better one. In [15:06] the Palestinian Authority that Barghouti [15:08] is a part of, [15:10] the there is a death penalty that is [15:13] carried out [15:15] for selling property [15:19] to a Jew. [15:20] Oh, yeah. That is true. [15:24] Selling property to an Israeli [15:28] >> [laughter] [15:29] >> or to a Jew [15:30] is punishable by death [15:34] in the Palestinian Authority. [15:36] What? But Wait a second, isn't that [15:38] apartheid? I can sell property to [15:40] another Palestinian and that's fine, but [15:42] I can't sell property to a Jew cuz [15:43] that's punishable by death. You know [15:45] why? [15:46] Because if you're from Palestinian [15:47] perspective, if you're selling property [15:49] to a Jew, you're undermining the nation [15:52] of of the Palestinians. Yeah. That's how [15:55] they justify it. [15:58] Kind of similar to the way we view [16:00] terrorism, like you're kind of trying to [16:01] undermine our country. This whole thing [16:04] is ridiculous. It's not that [16:05] controversial a law. Everyone's making a [16:07] huge deal out of it. The purpose of this [16:09] law is to prevent [16:12] our judicial establishment and our [16:14] left-wing leaders [16:17] and our capitulating leaders from [16:19] continuing to amass larger and larger [16:22] numbers of these terrorist murderers in [16:24] our prisons and then releasing them in [16:26] prisoner exchanges [16:28] where we just put them back into into [16:31] Palestinian society where they then [16:33] commit more acts of terrorism. We want [16:34] to put an end to that cycle [16:36] once and for all and actually have a [16:38] real deterrent to committing murder. [16:41] That's what this law is about. It [16:43] shouldn't uh it it it's not all that [16:46] controversial and frankly, I'm thrilled [16:49] that it passed.
