Full Breakdown
National Security Minister Publishes Prison Footage After Attorney-General’s Ban
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Release of Prison Footage Amid Attorney-General Ban
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara instructed Israel Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi to bar National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering prisons and recording meetings with inmates for election-campaign purposes. Despite the order, Ben-Gvir posted video on a Sunday morning that had been filmed roughly a month earlier during a prison visit in southern Israel. The clip shows Ben-Gvir confronting a terrorist who, according to the minister, belonged to a cell that once plotted to assassinate him and harm his family.
Legal and Administrative Background
The attorney-general’s directive was aimed at preventing the use of prison visits and recordings as election propaganda. The Israel Prison Service, under Commissioner Yaakobi, is therefore required to deny Ben-Gvir any further access that could produce such material. The released footage, however, predates the instruction and therefore does not technically violate the order, though it was publicized after the ban was announced.
Official Statements & Responses
The attorney-general’s office has not issued a public comment beyond the initial instruction.
On August 16, 2026, Ben-Gvir is scheduled to attend a supporters’ conference in Petah Tikva alongside members of his Otzma Yehudit party, underscoring the political timing of the footage release.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I looked them in the eyes. Their legs were shaking.” — Itamar Ben-Gvir, national security minister
The episode highlights the tension between security policy, political campaigning, and judicial oversight in Israel’s current electoral climate.