Ben-Gvir Boasts of New Gallows to Execute Palestinians

By Staff, Agencies

"Israel’s" extremist police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released a video showcasing construction of a new execution facility intended to hang Palestinians convicted by the occupation’s military courts.

In the video, Ben-Gvir listed what he described as fulfilled pledges, including ending leniency in the prison service, legislating the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of what the law defines as terrorism, and establishing the execution facility.

He said that when Palestinians are killed while carrying out attacks, “it’s very good that this is the case,” adding that until now there had been no mechanism for those who survive.

Under the new system, he said, convicted Palestinians would be brought to the facility, where victims’ families would be able to watch executions from viewing rooms modeled on the US system.

The gallows follow legislation long promoted by Ben-Gvir. The Knesset passed the death penalty law earlier this year by 62 votes to 48, requiring military courts to impose capital punishment unless judges find “special circumstances” warranting life imprisonment.

Crucially, the law applies only to Palestinians. Jewish "Israelis" convicted of similar offenses are shielded, as the statute applies to murder committed with “intent to deny the existence of the state of 'Israel',” a threshold Palestinian defendants are effectively presumed to meet while Jewish extremists are not.

Amnesty International senior director Erika Guevara-Rosas said the law removes basic safeguards against arbitrary killing and fair-trial rights, reinforcing what she described as "Israel’s" apartheid system against Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir has previous convictions for incitement to racism and support for the outlawed Kach movement founded by Meir Kahane. He has served as national security minister since 2022, apart from a brief interruption last year, despite sanctions imposed by Britain, France, and Ireland.

The video emerged days after Ben-Gvir called for 30 to 40 “targeted assassinations” each night in Gaza, saying some Palestinians “don’t deserve to live” and “are not even people.”

The remarks drew condemnation, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot calling them unacceptable and inhuman, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying they violated international law, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres describing them as appalling, outrageous, and dehumanizing.