AboutJames Prince Expertise I can answer questions involving the regional politics, and U.S. foreign policy. Specific topics include; international terrorism, Middle East peace process, regional politics, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Palestinians, corruption, and democracy and reform efforts.
Experience Currently, I am the president of Democracy Council (www.democracycouncil.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting democracy, rule of law, and economic opportunit in emerging countries. Previously, I was a senior professional staff member for the House International Relations Committee and worked in the Middle East Studies department of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Publications Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Daily News, USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Times, Newsday, San Francisco Chronicle, Detroit News, Jerusalem Post, Houston Chronicle, Journal of Conflict Studies, Journal of Terrorism Violence and Insurgency, MIlken Institute Review, and the Journal of Current Affairs.
Expert: James Prince Date: 4/28/2007 Subject: abolition of death penalty in Israel
Question Hi,
I may be emigrating to Israel very soon. Purely out of interest, and as a strong opponent of the death penalty, I was wondering about the status of death penalty in Israel. Amnesty International states Israel as a country that 'abolished capital punishment for ordinary crimes' with 'crimes against humanity' as sole exception. Of course the latter is open to interpretation ; does the term refer to only nazi/holocaust related crimes while crimes committed by citizens can never result in a death sentence (regardless of the crime committed)?
Also, Palestine Authority still uses capital punishment, while the Palestinean controlled areas are technically claimed by Israel and thus subject to Israeli law? How can Palestine Authority then use capital punishment while Israeli law abolished it?
PS: I am a member of an organisation campaigning against capital punishment, being ALIVE. Their homepage is www.todesstrafe-usa.de
Answer I believe that the government of Israel's policy is to apply capital punishment only to those associated with the crimes during the Holocaust.
The areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority are technically not subject to Israeli law. The Paris Accords and the Oslo agreements mandate that the Palestinian Authority is responsible for law and order within the territory. That said, the Israeli military undertakes incursions into areas of the Palestinian Authority. Prisoners taken from the PA to Israel are supposed to be subject to Israeli Law.
