Tel Aviv, Israel – Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, posted a video documenting his visit to a construction site in central Israel designated for the execution by hanging of Palestinian prisoners convicted of carrying out attacks. Ben-Gvir’s move sparked a new wave of anger and condemnation from human rights groups and the international community, particularly given the increasing number of extremist statements issued by figures on the Israeli right wing.
Details of the new facility and viewing rooms
During a field visit documented in a video posted on social media, Ben-Gvir was seen pointing to foundation work and ongoing construction near a prison. He boasted that the site would be used to execute Palestinian prisoners, whom he labeled “terrorists.” The extremist minister also asserted that his government had fulfilled its promises to tighten prison conditions, enact the death penalty law, and construct a special section for death row inmates, complete with an execution facility. Most controversially, he revealed that the facility’s design includes “viewing rooms” allowing the families of Israeli victims to witness executions firsthand.
Legal questions regarding discrimination and violation of standards
These developments stem from a law passed by the Israeli Knesset that imposes the death penalty primarily through military courts, where Palestinians are tried. Jewish extremists who commit similar murders are exempt from this law. International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have warned that this law and its associated facilities constitute a flagrant violation of fair trial guarantees and the right to life. They also enshrine a racist legal system based on systematic discrimination against Palestinians.
Unprecedented international and UN condemnations
The revelation of the execution site coincided with widespread international condemnation of other statements made by Ben-Gvir, in which he called for the daily mass killing of large numbers of civilians in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations and several European capitals described these statements as “horrific, inhumane, and dangerous,” and a clear violation of international humanitarian law. In the same vein, international criticism is mounting against Israeli policies related to settlement expansion, such as the E1 project near Jerusalem. Major powers and Britain consider it a major obstacle undermining the possibility of establishing an independent and contiguous Palestinian state.
