SCHNEIDER CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF BEN GVIR AS ISRAEL’S SECURITY MINISTER
LINCOLNSHIRE -- Following the release of a Public Defender audit that found widespread torture and abuse of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus, condemns conditions cited in the report and calls for the removal of Itamar Ben Gvir as Israel’s National Security Minister:
“Israel’s Public Defender’s audit of the country’s prison system documents widespread hunger, untreated medical conditions, extreme overcrowding, and repeated violence against detainees in Israeli detention facilities. These findings are based on direct inspections conducted over two years across dozens of sites and describe conditions that fall well below Israel’s legal standards.
The conditions reported are unacceptable for any government and under any circumstances, but especially for a vital U.S. ally that has historically held itself to higher moral standards.
“The October 7th invasion by Hamas, and the multi-front war that followed, placed extraordinary demands on the system, but the root of the problems rest clearly with the leadership, specifically Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir. Prison conditions deteriorated sharply under emergency authorities and sustained political direction that removed normal restraints on the system. Oversight mechanisms failed to halt that deterioration. That came as Ben Gvir publicly endorsed harsher treatment of detainees and treated the degradation of prison conditions as an achievement.
“Ben Gvir's conduct as National Security Minister has long been detrimental to Israel’s national interests and its international standing. He should never have been given authority over the prison system in the first place, and, given the findings in this audit, he should be removed from office immediately.
“The US-Israel relationship is based on shared values and shared interests. This audit is an official warning from within Israel’s own legal system. Failure to act on it threatens to undermine our nations’ bilateral relationship and Israel’s long-term security.”
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