Warnings sound as Israel’s Ben-Gvir toughens up on Palestinian prisoners
Newly appointed National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is following through on his electoral agenda of ending the privileges of Palestinian security prisoners, and alarm bells are already ringing.
The Israel Prison Service (IPS) transferred 70 Palestinian security prisoners on Monday, among them prominent militant Marwan Barghouti, from the high-security Hadarim jail in the center of Israel to the high-security Nafha in the south of the country.
In the coming weeks, the IPS plans to redistribute some 2,000 prisoners among several facilities. The plan was apparently conceived under the former government, but the appointment of hard-liner Itamar Ben-Gvir as national security minister gave it a final push. Ben-Gvir and his Jewish Power party had campaigned on ending the “summer camp” conditions enjoyed by security prisoners.
On Sunday Ben-Gvir informed Knesset speaker Amir Ohana that visits by Knesset members to Palestinian prisoners would be limited. The new protocol is for only one legislator from each Knesset faction to make such visits.
There are reportedly 4,500 Palestinians currently detained in Israel, suspected or convicted of attacks against Israelis, mostly civilians. The issue has been a potent catalyst of violence in the West Bank over the years, as well as a constant irritant in Israel’s relations with the Palestinian Authority (PA). It also holds significant potential to unite bitter Palestinian rival factions. With hard-liner Ben-Gvir now responsible for the prisons, it could become a real diplomatic and security minefield.
