On 3 November, authorities arrested Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the former top military lawyer, and Matan Solomesh, the former chief military prosecutor, for disclosing a video showing Israeli soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman prison. The footage documented severe violence, including acts of sexual violence. Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned from her post, admitted authorizing the disclosure to counter misinformation about military investigations and to ensure the abuse was not concealed. The prosecution has sparked concern that, in a legal framework that offers limited protection for whistleblowing (with no statutory ‘public interest’ defense to shield whistleblowers), the case is likely to further deter others in the military from exposing serious wrongdoing, reinforcing a broader climate of impunity.

Sources: The New Arab, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, International IDEA, The Israel Democracy Institute

On 10 November, the Knesset passed in its first reading (39–16) a bill that would amend the penal code to require courts to impose the death penalty on anyone convicted of killing an Israeli if the act was motivated by ‘racism’ or intended to harm ‘the State of Israel’ or ‘the rebirth of the Jewish people.’ Rights groups have condemned the bill, warning that it overturns decades of progress on abolishing the death penalty (which was removed for murder in Israel in 1954). Further, they caution it is inherently discriminatory, as it would in practice apply primarily to Palestinians while imposing no comparable mandatory penalty on Israeli Jews convicted of killing Palestinians. The bill, which would be applied retroactively, will now move to committee review and must pass two additional parliamentary readings before being approved into law.

Sources: Knesset, The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, Al Jazeera, Amnesty International 

On 30 November, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a formal request for a presidential pardon to President Isaac Herzog in connection with his ongoing corruption trial. In the request, Netanyahu argued that the proceedings 'harm national unity' and 'distract' him from governing. The move is highly unusual, as pardons in Israel are typically granted only after a conviction. The request is currently under legal review by the Justice Ministry and the Office of the President.

Sources: The Jerusalem Post, Al Jazeera, The Israel Democracy Institute

Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons have been deprived of adequate food in violation of their basic rights, the Supreme Court acknowledged in a ruling on 7 September. The Court found that the Israel Prison Service has failed to meet its legal obligations to provide sufficient nutrition, expressing ‘serious doubts’ that current rations met basic subsistence standards. Rights groups that brought the case had argued that government policy deliberately reduced food rations, leaving prisoners without the nutrition necessary for health and survival. The Court’s decision requires prison authorities to take corrective action to guarantee all detainees receive adequate nutrition to meet basic needs.

Sources: The Times of Israel, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Associated Press

On 19 July, Member of the Knesset (MK) Ayman Odeh, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and leader of the Hadash-Ta’al party, was attacked by a far-right mob while travelling to a protest against Israel’s war on Gaza. The assailants vandalized his car, smashing the windshield, throwing objects, and shouting racist slurs, including ‘death to Arabs’. This attack came just days after a failed Knesset motion to expel Odeh from parliament, due to his open criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza. It also occurred amid a broader reported increase in violence against Palestinian citizens of Israel. Although police arrested three suspects in connection to the attack, all were later released. Following the latest 2022 parliamentary elections, only 10 of the Knesset’s 120 seats are held by representatives of Arab origin.

Sources: The Times of Israel (1), The Times of Israel (2), The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, The National, The Times of Israel (3)

On 25 June, Israel issued a directive banning five international organizations and approximately 50 of their staff members from entering the country. These groups, primarily based in Europe and the United States, work to promote justice and accountability in Israel and Palestine by documenting human rights abuses and supporting international legal mechanisms. The affected staff members were designated as persona non grata. By denying them entry to Israel (and by extension to Palestine, as access to the West Bank and Gaza is controlled by Israel), the directive restricts their ability to document human rights violations, including those allegedly committed by Israeli officials and military forces during the war in Gaza. It also prevents them from engaging with local communities and collaborating with local civil society organisations. 

Sources: Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, Middle East Eye, Quds News Network, Bhol