National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded on Thursday to the Shin Bet placing blame on him for the release of the director of Shifa Hospital due to overcrowded prison conditions.
To his credit, since he entered his position, Ben-Gvir has dramatically changed the formerly cushy conditions of Israeli jails for terrorists, where in the past they used to receive satisfying meals, earn a college degree and buy a choice of snacks at the canteen.
An Israeli wrote on X on Tuesday: “You can like Ben-Gvir or not but you can’t argue with the fact that he sets a proper standard in the prisons for terrorists. Last week, I met a friend for coffee who serves as an officer in Israel Prison Services and he told me: ‘Since Ben-Gvir changed the conditions of incarceration in the prisons, there is no Arab in Yehudah and Shomron who wants to come here. Every Arab in Yehudah and Shomron talks about how being in an Israeli prison at this time involves great suffering.”
The Israel Prison Services released a video of the Shifa director’s prison cell on Tuesday morning.
Ben-Gvir stated on Tuesday: “In the prisons today, there are no camps, no canteens, no eight-hour trips. I closed the bakeries, they called me the minister of pita – today everyone understands that the minister of pita was right.”
“The Shin Bet, under the command of Ronen Bar,” Ben-Gvir stated, “convinced the prime minister again and again that worsening the conditions of the terrorists would lead to an escalation, an explosion, the burning of the Middle East. After the outbreak of the war, I was able to finally carry out the long-awaited reform. The conditions of the terrorists in prison have been reduced to a minimum: terrorists who are currently released from prison testify that they never want to return to an Israeli prison. The prisons of the State of Israel are no longer a sad joke.”
“As part of the war, the army carried out many arrests of terrorists and those wanted for terrorism in Yehudah and Shomron, along with many terrorists who were brought from Gaza. Many of those arrested were housed in a military camp, Sdeh Temen, where they were held by the army. Recently, following a petition to the Supreme Court, the IDF and the Shin Bet were quick to fold and announce that the conditions of incarceration there would be examined, and that the number of prisoners held there would be reduced. In practice, a situation has arisen in which due to the harsh living conditions of the prisoners (we are talking about despicable terrorists, right?), there are now 1,500 vacant prison places in Sdeh Temen.”
Ben Gvir added: “Even in the prisons that are under the responsibility of the Israel Prison Services, where many terrorists were taken in, overcrowding was created. But I never thought of releasing terrorists from prison because they are overcrowded. And this is the core of the dispute between me and the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar: he claims that the conditions of the terrorists in prison, including overcrowding, look bad to the world, and may lead to escalation.”
“If what they did to us was done to any other country in the world, it would do much worse against those terrorists and ignore all those who cluck their tongues. Are the prison cells crowded? Next time they will think twice before they go out to slaughter, rape and loot.”
“Israeli Prison Services (IPS) has already begun an accelerated construction project of new prisons, and since October, 2,500 new prison spaces have been added. Another project began last April, and it includes the construction of 936 additional prison places that is currently underway. In addition to the emergency construction during the war, IPS will complete a construction project of about 1,200 prison places throughout the country by the end of the year.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
You want to see how to treat terrorist prisoners? Look at El Salvador and the Philippines…” kep of kep” literally. Only basic foods the same every day. Yes they get “yard time” THEY SLEEP IN THE YARD.
The POW’s from the SS in the allies jails didn’t have it comfy either and neither should they.
There is a difference between not-comfy and torture. There’s no right in the world for torture – if anyone here in the “yeshiva world” disagrees, they aren’t bnei torah.
When CNN asked Israel over-and-over to comment on accusations, they receive no response. This looks horrible to the world and at a time that we’re not looking for friends – at least – we shouldn’t have enemies…
Think about it EHRLICHE Yidden.
Let them sleep on wooden shelves 6 abreast auschwitz style.
Just as the mufti wanted.
A significant factor in turning Italy and Germany into friends and allies, was the Anglo-American treatment of German and Italian prisoners of war.
The war is undermining the yishuv in Eretz Yisrael (note the current attempts of the regime to close down Torah education and crush the Bnei Torah). Abusing prisoners of war, even if they deserve it (and under international law, Israel has every right to try, convict and execute anyone enemy soldier who murdered a civilian or engaged in rape), is one way to make sure the war never ends. In the long run, if the war causes the yishuv to give up on Yiddishkeit, it will lead to the destruction of the yishuv in Eretz Yisrael, not because the Arabs are clever but because the Jews have rejected Torah.