National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir Rejects Attorney General's Call to Freeze Bereaved Families' Prison Visitor Appointments

A new dispute has emerged between Israel's Attorney General and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir regarding the appointment of six members from bereaved families as official prison visitors under the law concerning the death penalty for terrorists. About two weeks ago, Ben Gvir signed the appointments, granting these family members oversight powers to monitor the implementation of the death penalty law, including visiting prisoners sentenced to death. These appointments were made under the minister's authority according to the Prisons Ordinance, which restricts access to death row inmates to authorized official visitors.

Last week, Deputy Attorney General Sharon Afek requested clarifications from Ben Gvir and urged a freeze on these appointments due to the sensitivity of the matter and pending legal review. Afek's letter sought details on the appointees, their selection criteria, and whether legal considerations raised by the Ministry of National Security's legal counsel were addressed.

Ben Gvir rejected the Attorney General's recommendation, stating the appointments are based on a solid legal foundation. He explained that the nominations came from the "Choosing Life" forum, representing hundreds of bereaved families and terror victims, aiming to ensure the law and policy regarding terrorist prisoners' detention conditions are properly enforced. Although the Ministry's legal opinion had reservations about the appointees' lack of relevant experience and security clearance, Ben Gvir said these issues were resolved through security checks, mandatory signing of prison documents before visits, and training as needed.

He emphasized that the appointments were made under a new law distinguishing regular official visitors from those authorized specifically for death penalty cases. After considering all factors, he signed the appointments on June 11. Ben Gvir concluded by stating the matter is clear and fully approved, and he dismissed the Attorney General's request to freeze the appointments, while remaining open to addressing any further legal questions about his authority.

Summary: National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has refused the Attorney General's request to freeze the appointments of six bereaved family members as official prison visitors overseeing death penalty cases for terrorists, asserting the appointments are legally sound and necessary for monitoring prisoner conditions.

Points: - Ben Gvir appointed six bereaved family members as official prison visitors for death penalty cases. - The Attorney General requested freezing these appointments pending legal review. - Ben Gvir rejected the freeze, citing a solid legal basis and security vetting. - Appointments came from the "Choosing Life" forum representing terror victims' families. - The new law distinguishes these visitors from regular prison visitors. - Ben Gvir signed the appointments on June 11 and dismissed the Attorney General's concerns.

Topic: security

Entities: {"people":["Itamar Ben Gvir","Sharon Afek"],"organizations":["Choosing Life","Ministry of National Security"],"places":[]}