Viewing stands for spectators: Israel prepares facility for the execution of Palestinian prisoners
Israel’s National Security Ministry has announced the beginning of construction of a facility intended for the hanging executions of Palestinian prisoners, in an escalation that threatens to trigger a new wave of tensions.
According to an official announcement from the office of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right figure, and reports carried by several Israeli media outlets, the facility is located in central Israel and includes stands designated for Israeli families to watch the executions.
Speaking from the construction site, Ben-Gvir said that after taking office, he had promised to “abolish privileges in the prison service,” adding that this had been “fully implemented.”
“I promised to legislate a death penalty law for terrorists, and that was done. I promised to establish a facility for carrying out executions, and that is now being implemented,” he said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
In June, Ben-Gvir appointed six relatives of victims as official inspectors tasked with overseeing implementation of the law.
The move, however, has triggered widespread criticism both domestically and internationally. Arab members of the Knesset, together with human rights organizations, petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court, arguing that the law was unconstitutional and violated the rights to life, dignity, equality, and a fair trial, while also constituting a discriminatory measure targeting Palestinians.
In March, the Israeli Knesset passed a bill that could allow Palestinians convicted of “terrorism” on the basis of carrying out attacks to be sentenced to death.
At the time, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that applying Israel’s death penalty to individuals described as “terrorists” under legislation designed to apply exclusively to Palestinians would amount to a “war crime.”
Provocative displays
Ben-Gvir, 50, has frequently resorted to highly provocative political displays. He once raised a bottle of champagne inside the Knesset to celebrate the passage of legislation allowing the death penalty for Palestinians.
A birthday cake prepared for him was also decorated with a hangman’s noose, and he has made provocative visits to Palestinian detainees.
Ben-Gvir heads the Jewish Power party. He became a member of the Knesset in 2021, following many years of activism within Israel’s far-right circles.
He lives in the Kiryat Arba settlement, one of the most hardline settlements in the occupied West Bank, which he advocates annexing to Israel.
He has also called for Jews to be granted rights superior to those of the Palestinian population in those areas.
He further advocates relocating some Arab citizens of Israel to neighboring countries. He does not hesitate to travel to some of the most volatile areas, prompting his critics to accuse him of inflaming tensions.
Ben-Gvir’s racist statements and controversial positions have intensified since he entered government, particularly following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
After the attack, he began arming civilians, called for the displacement of Gaza’s residents, and expressed a desire to reestablish Israeli settlements in the enclave.
Ben-Gvir also opposes the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by a war that has lasted for two years.
