USF Coalition Statement

Israel, Palestine, Geneva | March 31, 2026

Reject the Death Penalty, Stop Settler Violence, and Protect the Possibility of Political Horizon

The Uniting for a Shared Future coalition, bringing together more than 550 Israeli and Palestinian leaders across politics, security, business, civil society, media, and other sectors, expresses deep concern over the advancement of legislation expanding the use of the death penalty in Israel, and over the continued rise in settler violence and repeated attacks against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. These are not isolated developments. They are part of a dangerous trajectory that is taking Israelis and Palestinians further away from security, the rule of law, and any credible political horizon.

We say this at a moment when both peoples are living through acute insecurity. Palestinians continue to live under war, occupation, repeated assaults, displacement, and daily exposure to settler attacks and coercion. Israelis continue to live between shelters, sirens, and the fear of renewed attacks. A reality in which both societies are trapped in fear must not be answered with more vengeance, more impunity, or more measures that institutionalize discrimination and deepen permanent conflict.

We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances. It is inhumane, degrading, and does not deliver justice or security. In the current context, such legislation carries an especially grave risk considering its de facto discriminatory nature as it relates to Palestinians. Rather than strengthening deterrence, it hardens a logic of exception, fuels further escalation, and undermines the democratic and legal principles that must be defended precisely in times of crisis.

At the same time, the escalating pattern of settler violence, intimidation, forcible displacement, and repeated attacks on Palestinian civilians and villages cannot be minimized or excused. Nor can continued settlement expansion and annexationist threats be separated from this reality.

Our position remains clear. We condemn attacks against civilians, whether against Israelis or Palestinians. We reject incitement, collective punishment, vigilantism, and impunity in all forms. We reject the false promise that security can be achieved through execution, domination, or the unchecked violence of civilians against civilians. It cannot. Security that is not mutual will not hold. Law that is not equal will not protect.

We therefore call on the Israeli government and all relevant authorities to halt this legislation, confront settler violence with real accountability, protect civilians, and reverse measures that entrench annexation, and permanent instability. We also call on regional and international actors to support those in both societies, including public representatives, who are working to stop further deterioration and preserve the possibility of a political resolution.

This is not only a moral imperative. It is a strategic necessity.

The alternative is deeper polarization, greater lawlessness, and the continued collapse of the conditions needed for peace and regional stability.