Ben Gvir To Appoint Bereaved Families as Official Prison Inspectors, Drawing Legal and Political Backlash

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has decided to appoint bereaved families as the official inspectors of security prisoners in Israeli jails, according to a first report by Channel 12 on Tuesday evening. The role is normally filled by roughly 100 professional inspectors from the State Attorney’s Office, the Justice Ministry and similar bodies, in line with Israeli law and international law.

The inspectors are responsible for overseeing security prisoners and the conditions they receive in custody. Under Ben Gvir’s plan, the number of official inspectors would be cut to fewer than 20, and bereaved families, including Herzl Hagag and others, would replace them. Sources around the minister said his aim is to tighten conditions for security prisoners.

The move immediately triggered criticism in the political system, where officials said it was unlawful and warned it could damage Israel’s international relations. One response described the decision as “a crazy decision that violates the law and will harm international relations.”

Former senior Israel Prison Service officials also came out against the step, saying that however much respect they have for bereaved families, they are not an official or professional body. They warned the decision could lead to international criticism and to escalation inside the prisons and beyond.