Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
A video posted by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Friday has ignited a storm of political condemnation after he appeared to directly threaten prominent Palestinian political leader and long-time prisoner Marwan Barghouti inside his prison cell. The video, which quickly spread across social media, shows the far-right minister confronting Barghouti during what has been described as an unannounced and provocative visit to an Israeli prison.
In the footage, Ben Gvir stands in front of Barghouti’s cell at close range, flanked by a prison guard and another official, and issues an unequivocal threat: “You will not defeat us. Anyone who harms the people of Israel, anyone who kills children, anyone who kills women we will erase him.”
When Barghouti attempts to respond, Ben Gvir cuts him off: “No. You need to know this. And this will be remembered forever.”
Ben Gvir later reposted the video on his official account on X (formerly Twitter), doubling down on his comments. “This morning,” he wrote, “I read that many ‘senior officials’ in the Palestinian Authority were very upset by what I said to the biggest terrorist, Marwan Barghouti. So let me repeat without apology: Anyone who harms the people of Israel we will erase them. God willing.”
A Legacy of Controversy
Marwan Barghouti, now 66, is one of the most prominent figures in the Palestinian national movement. A senior Fatah leader and former member of its central committee, Barghouti was arrested by Israeli forces in 2002 during the Second Intifada and later sentenced to five life terms for his alleged role in orchestrating attacks against Israeli targets. He has consistently denied the charges and refused to recognize the authority of the Israeli court.
Despite his imprisonment, Barghouti remains a symbolic and potentially unifying figure across Palestinian political factions. His name is frequently mentioned in discussions about future Palestinian leadership, particularly amid the fragmentation of the Palestinian Authority and the growing disconnect between Palestinian citizens and their governing institutions.
“Unprecedented Provocation”
The video sparked an immediate and furious response from Palestinian leaders and factions.
The Palestinian Authority accused Ben Gvir of “storming” Barghouti’s cell and labeled the incident an “unprecedented provocation.” In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the act as “state terrorism” and a “flagrant violation of international law and human rights conventions.”
Fatah, the movement Barghouti has long been affiliated with, issued a strongly worded condemnation via the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, holding the Israeli government “fully responsible for the safety and well-being” of Barghouti. “This is not just a personal threat,” the statement read, “but a violation of all international agreements regarding the treatment of prisoners of war and detainees.”
Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian politician and distant relative of Marwan, went further, describing the encounter as “a direct death threat.” He told reporters, “What Ben Gvir did to brother Marwan Barghouti amounts to incitement to murder and should be treated as such by the international community.”
Hamas: “A Coward’s Spectacle”
The incident also drew the ire of Hamas, Israel’s chief rival in Gaza. Izzat al-Risheq, a senior member of Hamas’s political bureau, described Ben Gvir’s conduct as a display of “inhuman savagery.”
“A Zionist minister, backed by his army and his guards, confronts an elderly, shackled prisoner held in solitary confinement a man barely able to stand,” al-Risheq said. “If Ben Gvir had achieved a real victory in Gaza, he wouldn’t need to stage such cowardly spectacles in a prison cell.”
Disputed Account of the Visit
Israeli officials have provided conflicting accounts of how the encounter unfolded. A source close to Ben Gvir said that the confrontation occurred “by chance” during an inspection of the Gannot Prison facility. The source, who requested anonymity, declined to specify the exact timing of the visit or the filming of the video. No mention was made of whether Barghouti had been informed in advance or whether standard prison protocols were followed.
The Israeli Prison Service has yet to release an official statement clarifying the circumstances of the visit or whether any internal regulations were breached by Ben Gvir’s presence and filming inside a high-security cell.
Escalating Tensions
The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza. Violence has escalated in recent months, with frequent Israeli military raids in Palestinian cities, ongoing settler violence, and periodic exchanges of fire between Hamas and Israeli forces.
Ben Gvir, a staunch supporter of settlement expansion and one of the most controversial figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government, has repeatedly advocated for harsh measures against Palestinian detainees. His actions are seen by critics as part of a broader strategy to inflame nationalist sentiment ahead of potential elections and to consolidate his support among the Israeli far right.
His visit to Barghouti’s cell and the subsequent publication of the video is widely viewed as a calculated political move rather than a random encounter.
Calls for International Response
Palestinian leaders are now calling on international human rights organizations and the United Nations to investigate the incident and to place pressure on Israel to respect the rights of Palestinian prisoners.
“This act must not go unchallenged,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a veteran Palestinian diplomat and rights advocate. “If the international community fails to act on such blatant violations, it only emboldens those who thrive on provocation, humiliation, and incitement.”
Whether the episode leads to further escalation or sparks international condemnation remains to be seen. But for many Palestinians, the image of their most famous political prisoner being openly threatened in his cell by a sitting Israeli minister has already left a deep and bitter impression.
