Ben-Gvir Campaign Highlights Harsh Prison Conditions for Palestinian Detainees

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has drawn criticism after promoting his treatment of Palestinian detainees as part of his election campaign, including publishing footage from inside an “Israeli” detention facility.

The footage, filmed inside a detention camp holding Palestinian detainees, shows Ben-Gvir dismissing a detainee's complaint about food while presenting the prison's harsh conditions as evidence of his security policies.

The video has been criticized for using the suffering of Palestinian detainees as an electoral message aimed at voters who support tougher measures against Palestinians.

Ben-Gvir's campaign also released an AI-generated video depicting a malnourished Palestinian detainee sitting on the floor without basic necessities.

The campaign contrasted those scenes with what it described as conditions in “Israeli” prisons before Ben-Gvir assumed office, portraying his record of imposing stricter prison conditions as a campaign achievement.

The videos have also sparked criticism over what rights groups described as dehumanizing imagery, amid longstanding allegations of inadequate food, poor living conditions, and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees in “Israeli” prisons.

In one of the videos, Ben-Gvir tells a Palestinian detainee: "This is how we treat Israel's enemies: you're not going to get any more food, I feel no pity for you. This isn't a hotel—you're going to die. It's not worth fighting against Israel; you don't stir any pity in me."

In another video released earlier this month, Ben-Gvir mocked a female Palestinian detainee after she complained about prison conditions.

"This is not a hotel," he told the woman after she said detainees were not receiving adequate food and water.