29.10.2026 22:41
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir turned food restrictions on Palestinian prisoners into election propaganda. Ben-Gvir, who stated that he was proud to have removed jam, chocolate, and pita bread from the prison menu, also recounted that prisoners who made cake with their small amount of food were placed in cell confinement. After listing these practices, the Israeli minister asked voters to vote for his party.
Food restrictions on Palestinian prisoners became an issue in Israel's election campaign. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the restrictions he imposed in prisons and called on voters to vote.
HE BOASTED ABOUT FOOD RESTRICTIONS ON PALESTINIAN PRISONERS
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir brought the practices against Palestinian prisoners held in prisons back onto the agenda ahead of the election. In his statement, Ben-Gvir said that some foods given to Palestinian prisoners had been removed from prison menus. The Israeli minister stated that jam, chocolate, and pita bread previously given to prisoners were no longer available. Saying he was proud to have removed these foods from the menu, Ben-Gvir presented the practice as an achievement of his own administration.
HE REMOVED JAM, CHOCOLATE AND PITA BREAD FROM THE MENU
In Ben-Gvir's statements, restrictions specifically on the daily diet of Palestinian prisoners stood out. The Israeli minister advocated reducing food variety in prisons and stated that jam, chocolate, and pita bread were no longer given to prisoners. Openly embracing the food restrictions, Ben-Gvir used these decisions in his messages to voters. The minister's statements showed that the prison conditions of Palestinian prisoners had become part of political debates in Israel.
THEY PREPARED A CAKE WITH THE SMALL AMOUNT OF FOOD THEY HAD
In another statement, Ben-Gvir described an incident he claimed took place in Levia Prison. According to the minister's claim, Palestinian prisoners held in the prison collected the small amount of jam and bread they had and prepared a cake. Ben-Gvir claimed that the prisoners planned to hold a celebration on Tuesday with the cake they had prepared. However, according to what the Israeli minister reported, prison authorities found the cake the prisoners had prepared. Thus, the celebration planned by the Palestinian prisoners could not be held.
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR PRISONERS WHO MADE A CAKE
One of the most striking details in Ben-Gvir's statements was the disciplinary punishment he said was imposed on the prisoners who prepared the cake. The Israeli minister stated that after the cake was found, the prisoners were referred to a disciplinary committee and placed in solitary confinement. Ben-Gvir also specifically emphasized that the prisoners' celebration was prevented. Defending the sanction imposed by prison authorities, the minister recounted the incident in detail in his statement to voters.
HE RECOUNTED WHAT HE DID AND ASKED FOR VOTES FOR HIS PARTY
After listing the practices against Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli minister made a call to vote. Ben-Gvir described the food restrictions and disciplinary practices in the prison and asked voters to vote for his party. The statements, made one day before the elections, drew attention because the practices in prisons were used directly as an election message.