Israeli far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir received a cake with an image of a golden noose for his 50th birthday. The minister was one of the driving forces behind a law that would impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of deadly terrorist attacks. The cake included the text in Hebrew: “Sometimes dreams come true.”
Ine Holmstock
Journalist at HLN
It was Gvir’s wife who presented him with a three-tiered birthday cake topped with a noose during his birthday party, which took place on Saturday at a luxury villa near Ashdod. The fact that senior police and prison officers were also present at the party provoked criticism. the minister would have too much influence over the security services.
Ben-Gvir’s party, Otzma Yehudit, is part of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s governing coalition. At the end of March, that government passed a law introducing the death penalty by hanging for people convicted of deadly terrorist acts in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Death penalty, only for Palestinians
The law only applies to persons tried in military courts. In practice, this means that the death penalty only applies to Palestinians in the West Bank, as Jewish extremists and settlers appear in civilian courts.
Since the October 7, 2023, attack, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in clashes with settlers and the Israeli army, according to a UN report. During the same period, 59 Israelis were reported to have been killed by Palestinians.
