Former Israeli Minister of Security, Minister of Security again, and settler, Itamar Ben Gvir, posted a video of himself taunting Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti. Barghouti is Palestinian political leader who served as an elected legislator and has been an advocate of a two-state solution since prior to his imprisonment by Israel. “You will not win,” Gvir tells him in the video, “He who messes with the people of Israel, he who will murder our children, he who will murder our women, we will wipe him out” (BBC).

Ben Gvir is a lawyer best known for defending Jews accused of Jewish extremist terrorism in Israeli courts. In 2007 he was convicted for incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organization. Ben-Gvir has been convicted of at least eight charges

On 20 May 2004, he (Barghouti) was convicted of five counts of murder: authorizing and organizing the murder of Georgios Tsibouktzakis (a.k.a. Father Germanos, a Greek Orthodox monk-priest), a shooting adjacent to Giv’at Ze’ev in which a civilian was killed, and the Seafood Market attack in Tel Aviv in which two civilians and one Israeli Druze policeman were killed. In addition, he was convicted of attempted murder for a failed car bomb attack near Malha Mall that exploded prematurely, resulting in the deaths of two suicide bombers, and for membership and activity in a terrorist organization. He was acquitted of 21 counts of murder in 33 other attacks as no proof was brought to link Barghouti directly with the specific decisions of the local leadership of the Tanzim to carry out these particular attacks. Wikipedia

Barghouti is serving 5 life sentences plus 40 years for the 5 murders. He is one of, if not the, most popular politician with the Palestinian population. It is believed that if freed he would become the next president being more popular than Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas or any of the leaders of Hamas. Many Palestinians believe he was wrongfully convicted. There have been several failed attempts to negotiate Barghouti’s release.

The posting of this video is obvious political posturing by Gvir that appeals to his settler base. Also, the video will anger Palestinians and make the Palestinian Authority feel isolated. This comes at a time when the Palestinian Authority is calling for Hamas to lay down it’s weapons and reporting Hamas shootings at aid sites. Are Ben Gvir and Bezazel Smotrich, trying to extend this conflict?

This possibility shouldn’t be too surprising; Itamar Ben Gvir was the Minister of National Security in 2023 when Egyptian Intelligence warned of an impending attack. This warning wasn’t passed on and an attack planned by Yahya Sinwar occurred on October 7 of that year.

• Far-right Israeli minister taunts prominent Palestinian prisoner BBC
• Palestinian Authority Daily: Hamas Is Preventing Gaza Residents From Reaching Aid Distribution Centers MEMRI
• Palestinian Authority Reports Hamas Killings at Aid Sites 4dforum
• Palestinian Forces are Openly Helping Israel Fight it’s West Bank War Rolling Stone
• Palestinian PM says Hamas must disarm, surrender Gaza control to PA Alarabiya
• Smotrich is Beautiful 4dforum.org
• Itamar Ben Gvir Wikipedia
• Marwan Barghouti Wikipedia