00:18A new video from Israeli National Security Minister
00:22Itamar Ben-Gvir is sparking controversy.
00:26After Palestinian female security prisoners complained about harsh conditions inside
00:32an Israeli prison, Ben-Gvir responded by mocking their complaints and defending his
00:38tough prison policies.
00:41The undated video was filmed at the Daimon Security Prison in northern Israel and was published
00:47by Ben-Gvir on August 30.
00:50In the footage, female Palestinian prisoners are seen speaking to the minister through
00:56a translator.
00:57One prisoner, who identified herself as a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, complained
01:03about conditions inside the prison.
01:05She claimed inmates did not have normal showers or water in their cells, that their cells were
01:11regularly raided, and that they were not receiving adequate medical care.
01:16Then came a particularly serious allegation.
01:20The woman said the prisoners had not been able to bathe for three days and had not changed
01:25their underwear.
01:26She warned that the conditions could create a risk of disease.
01:30But Ben-Gvir did not express sympathy.
01:33Instead, he compared the prisoners' conditions with those reported by Israeli hostages held
01:39in Gaza.
01:39He said Israeli hostages had faced starvation, abuse, humiliation, and extremely poor living
01:47conditions during their captivity.
01:49Then Ben-Gvir said he was proud that his policies had reduced conditions for Palestinian security
01:55prisoners to what he called the bare minimum.
01:59He also repeated his previous claim that the days of summer camp inside Israeli prisons were
02:05over, and he made his position clear, whoever hurts my brothers won't receive hotel conditions.
02:12In a post accompanying the video, Ben-Gvir dismissed the prisoners' complaints and vowed to continue
02:19his policy of providing what he described as the minimum of minimum conditions.
02:24The video comes as Israel enters an election campaign period, and it also comes amid continuing
02:31scrutiny of conditions inside Israeli prisons.
02:34International and Israeli investigations have previously raised allegations of widespread abuse
02:41involving Palestinian prisoners under Ben-Gvir's tenure.
02:45The prisoner featured in the video has reportedly been identified by her husband as Yasmin Shaban.
02:52She was reportedly re-arrested by Israeli forces in May 2025, months after being released under
02:59a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
03:01So the controversy is not only about what Palestinian prisoners say they are experiencing.
03:07It is also about how Israel's national security minister is choosing to respond.
03:14Ben-Gvir says his policy is about punishment and deterrence.
03:18Critics argue that basic rights and humane treatment must still apply, regardless of the crimes
03:25prisoners are accused of committing.
03:27And that debate is now back in the spotlight, after Ben-Gvir's own video put the prison
03:33conditions front and center.
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