Ben-Gvir represents 'terrorists' in Israeli government: Haaretz
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The Israeli newspaper Haaretz says that one of the "terrorists" benefiting from Ben-Gvir’s patronage is Amiram Ben-Uliel, the murderer of the Palestinian Dawabsheh family.
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Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attends an event to deliver weapons to settlers in Ashkelon, occupied Palestine, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (AP)
Israeli occupation Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir supports "Jewish terrorists", exploiting the power, authority, and resources at his disposal to protect them, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz indicated.
In its editorial, the newspaper indicated that "the Jewish terrorists are the military wing of the organization to which Ben-Gvir belongs and whose interests he represents as a cabinet minister."
"Ben-Gvir serves in the government, but he remains loyal to a bigger idea. And in a choice between his loyalty to the state and his loyalty to a Kahanist Greater Land of Israel, he will choose the latter," Haaretz pointed out.
The newspaper revealed that one of the "Jewish terrorists" benefiting from Ben-Gvir’s patronage is Amiram Ben-Uliel, the murderer of the Dawabsheh family, who, in recent months, received two visits in Ayalon Prison from the Commissioner of the Israel Prison Service, Kobi Yaakobi.
Ben-Uliel was convicted of murdering three members of the Palestinian Dawabsheh family – an 18-month-old baby and both his parents – by throwing a Molotov cocktail at their home in the occupied West Bank village of Duma, setting the house on fire and burning them to death.
According to Haaretz, Yaakobi, who previously served as Ben-Gvir’s security secretary, worked to ease the prison conditions of Ben-Uliel and other security detainees and prisoners at the police minister's request, who himself was the murderer's defense attorney.
The editorial noted that the "Jewish terrorism movement," of which Ben-Uliel is considered a hero, has many members, including field operatives, rabbis, and figures in positions of power within state institutions, and is also represented in the government and the Knesset.
Haaretz concluded by underlining that "a government that includes supporters of Ben-Uliel undermines Israel's right to exist."
Ben-Gvir calls for Shin Bet chief's dismissal over warning letter
A couple of days ago, the Israeli Channel 12 reported that the head of the Israeli Security Agency issued a stark warning last week to senior Israeli officials regarding the threat of "Jewish terror" driven by extremist settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Security Minister Yoav Gallant, other senior ministers, as well as Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, notably excluding Ben-Gvir, according to Channel 12.
"I am writing this letter to you with a heavy heart, filled with concern, as a Jew, as an Israeli, and as a member of the defense establishment, about the growing phenomenon of Jewish terror from 'hilltop youth,'" the letter read.
The term "hilltop youth" refers to extremist Israeli settlers involved in establishing outposts in the West Bank deemed illegal even by the occupation authorities and frequently accused of carrying out violent attacks against Palestinian citizens.
Bar mentioned that "the ‘hilltop youth’ long ago turned into a hotbed of violence against Palestinians," expressing alarm over the significant rise in such incidents and the lack of accountability, as suspects are rarely prosecuted.
He emphasized a loss of fear of administrative detention among those involved, attributing this to favorable prison conditions and financial support they receive upon release from certain Knesset members, along with the legitimacy and praise they are given, amid what he called "a campaign to delegitimize security forces."
According to the Shin Bet chief, there was a shift from centralized and covert operations to widespread and overt activities, and a move from using lighters to employing weapons, sometimes provided by the government itself, and from evading security forces to directly attacking them, all amid governmental support rather than condemnation.
Read more: Settler violence forces 'largest' Palestinian displacement since Oct 7
