National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Friday defended harsh prison conditions for security prisoners, saying terror supporters disguised as 'peace seekers' should experience them firsthand. He reiterated his full backing for prison and IDF personnel against a New York Times investigation he called defamatory.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir doubled down on his hardline prison policy Friday evening, stating that the harsh conditions for security prisoners are intentional and that terror supporters disguised as 'peace seekers' should experience them. 'The policy has changed,' he said in a Telegram post, adding that he backs his forces 'on full' against what he called a defamatory New York Times investigation.
The statement follows an earlier post by Ben Gvir at 17:20, when he first voiced support for prison and IDF personnel against the NYT report. The minister has consistently maintained that prison conditions for terrorists should be a deterrent. In a prior exchange with a female terrorist who complained about conditions, Ben Gvir told her 'the hotel is over' (The Zioneer, Aug 1). His approach has drawn both praise from right-wing allies and criticism from human rights groups and the Attorney General, who has petitioned the High Court to remove him from office over alleged interference in police operations.
The New York Times investigation, which Ben Gvir rejects, reportedly described conditions in Israeli prisons for security prisoners. The minister's statements reinforce his campaign promise to impose a zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism.
2 developments
- DevelopingBen Gvir: Terrorists fear prison due to conditions I imposed
- DevelopingBen Gvir-backed prison guards reclassify Arab inmates as terrorists, report says
- DevelopingBen Gvir tells female terrorist complaining about prison conditions: 'The hotel is over'
- DevelopingBen Gvir: Terrorists now police themselves in prison due to my deterrence policy
Source and signal
- Open-source intake