The new Israeli law introducing the death penalty for terrorism offenses has raised serious concerns within the European Commission, which described it as discriminatory and “a step backward” in terms of human rights, EC representative Anwar al-Anouni said at a press conference in Brussels.

“This is a step backward for Israel’s human rights record,” al-Anouni stated. “The European Commission is deeply concerned both by the introduction of the death penalty itself and by the discriminatory nature of this law.” He called the measure “a negative trend.”

Earlier, the Knesset approved the bill introducing the death penalty by hanging for terrorism-related convictions. Sentences are to be handed down by military courts without the right to appeal.

In the decisive third reading, the bill was supported by 62 lawmakers of the 120-member Knesset, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Forty-eight deputies voted against the measure. The opposition labeled the law shameful, immoral, and inconsistent with both fundamental democratic values and international law, announcing its intention to challenge it in Israel’s Supreme Court.