The Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has sparked controversy by calling for “explosive” measures to isolate Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, according to a report by the Israeli website Kan News. Ben-Gvir, who is known for his extremist views, proposed to ban the prisoners’ TV channels and abolish their organizational affiliation, so that prisoners from different Palestinian factions would not be together in the same cell.
The report said that Ben-Gvir’s proposal was met with strong opposition from other Israeli officials, who described it as “very dangerous” and warned that it could ignite a war with Gaza, the West Bank and the Palestinian factions in southern Lebanon. They argued that such a move requires the approval of the security cabinet that has convened, and the Israeli military is expected to oppose such a demand.
Itamar Ben-Gvir has a long history of extremist views and actions against Palestinians and Arabs, dating back to his teenage years. Ben-Gvir, who is the leader of the Jewish Power party, a faction within the Religious Zionism bloc, has been accused of inciting racism, violence and terrorism by his critics.
The issue of Palestinian prisoners has been a source of tension between the Israeli occupation and Palestinians for decades. According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, there are currently about 4,500 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, including 200 children, 41 women and 550 administrative detainees. The prisoners have been subjected to various forms of abuse and torture by the Israeli authorities, and have staged several hunger strikes and protests to demand their release and better conditions.
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