Netanyahu rejects Ben-Gvir's decision regarding Palestinian prisoners
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Israeli media suggest that Netanyahu is avoiding any possible escalation ahead of the Jewish holidays.
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Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greets Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at the Knesset on May 23, 2023 (AFP)
Israeli media reported that Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the decision of Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to further restrict visits to Palestinian prisoners classified as "security prisoners" to once every two months, in an attempt to prevent escalation during the upcoming Jewish holidays.
The Israeli Ynet news website reported that the security conditions of Palestinian prisoners will not be tightened at the present time, recalling the assessments of the Israeli security establishment, which suggested that Ben-Gvir's remarks and actions would lead to an escalation and explosion of the security situation.
Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu held a security discussion against the backdrop of increased warnings about operations ahead of the upcoming Jewish holidays, which will begin this weekend with the Jewish New Year.
The Ynet website reported that the focus of discussion in the government was Ben-Gvir's decision to further restrict visits to Palestinian "security prisoners" and that Netanyahu decided at the end of the discussion to postpone tightening the conditions of security prisoners "beyond the Jewish holidays," indicating that this was based on the request of Israeli security authorities with the aim of preventing escalation.
The website revealed that prior to the security discussion that was attended by Security Minister Yoav Gallant, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, the head of Shin Bet Ronen Bar, and prison administration Commissioner Katy Perry, Ben-Gvir met individually with Netanyahu and asked him to approve his decision on tightening prison conditions.
Later, Ben-Gvir's office responded to media reports, insisting that the Minister has the authority to limit visits to Palestinian "security prisoners", claiming that his decision was in accordance with an existing law that governs the prison administration.
"Contrary to what the Prime Minister’s Office has been telling the media, the minister’s decision is based off prison service orders that possess the status of binding law," the statement read.
In response to the statement, Netanyahu's office made it clear that "the decision on the issue of security prisoners will be made only by the prime minister and the cabinet."
On Wednesday, the political correspondent of the Israeli Channel 12, Yaron Avraham, suggested that the security tension and conflicts within the Israeli occupation government continued due to Ben-Gvir's decision, pointing out that the latter's decisions have become "more violent".
On their part, Palestinian factions and prisoners' associations have warned that the occupation's decisions against Palestinian prisoners will explode the situation and will lead the battle of prisons to reach its extremes.
The Supreme Emergency Committee of the Palestinian Captive Movement announced that prisoners will launch an open-ended hunger strike on September 14 in response to the recent policies of the Israeli occupation prison administration.
This comes after Ben-Gvir announced in early September that new measures would be taken against the prisoners, including reducing visits to the prisoners to once every two months instead of once a month -- a step that the Supreme Emergency Committee deemed as "playing with fire."
Read more: Palestinian factions back prisoners in upcoming freedom battle
