Israeli far-right minister taunts Palestinian prisoner over harsh jail conditions

Israel’s extremist national security minister taunted a Palestinian woman prisoner after she complained about harsh detention conditions and a lack of basic necessities, telling her that “prison is not a hotel.”

The exchange, posted by Itamar Ben-Gvir himself on Telegram on Friday, appeared in a video filmed inside an Israeli prison.

Speaking through an interpreter, Itamar Ben-Gvir asked the prisoner about her well-being. She said she was not doing well and that she had developed depression and suffered psychological harm.

“How are the detention conditions here?” Ben-Gvir then asked.

“There is no good food, no clean water, nothing,” she replied.

“The food should not be good. This is not a hotel,” Ben-Gvir said. “Those who do things should consider the consequences. Anyone who commits a crime must learn, especially if it is against the people of Israel.”

“This is not a hotel. It used to be, but it no longer is. You should think about what you did,” he added.

Ben-Gvir has become notorious for racist, belittling remarks on Palestinians, such as saying in 2023: “The right of me, my wife, and kids to travel around the West Bank is more important than that of the Arabs.”

This May, his office released a video of him taunting participants in a humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza which was illegally attacked in international waters. While forcing the humanitarian detainees to kneel with their hands tied while listening to the Israeli national anthem, Ben-Gvir told them: “Welcome to Israel. We are the landlords here.”

Since taking office in late 2022, Ben-Gvir has tightened conditions for Palestinian prisoners, including measures involving food deprivation, medical neglect, torture, and solitary confinement.

He recently proposed putting crocodiles outside prisons holding Palestinians as a security measure.

Israel holds around 9,500 Palestinian prisoners, including 94 women and more than 350 children, who face starvation, torture, and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.