From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 26, 2025
Kicking off Flag March, Ben Gvir urges death penalty for terrorists, halt to Gaza aid
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National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir addresses tens of thousands of Jerusalem Day revelers from a stage outside the city’s Great Synagogue before the annual Flag March sets out toward the Old City.
Young yeshiva students crowding near the stage reach out to the minister while shouting his name, handing him flags and stickers to hold while he dances onstage.
One young man gives him a flag bearing the logo of his far-right Otzma Yehudit party. Another hands him a sticker that reads “Gaza is ours forever.”
Before speaking, Ben Gvir holds up a sticker with the name and face of a slain IDF soldier.
“What sweethearts, what sweethearts you are,” he says. “Bringing me stickers of slain soldiers, may God avenge their blood, heroes and martyrs, thanks to them we are winning.”
But, Ben Gvir adds, “this victory must be taken further and further… we will enter Gaza and triumph!” The crowd cheers.
He comes out against the recent government decision to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. “I say to the prime minister, dear prime minister, we must not give them humanitarian aid, we must not give them fuel… our enemies deserve only a bullet to the head!”
Revelers begin to chant “Death to Arabs,” but Ben Gvir instead chants, “Death to terrorists,” and the crowd soon follows his lead.
Ben Gvir outside the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem, holding Otzma Yehudit flag… calls for death penalty for Palestinian terrorists, decries Netanyahu decision to resume humanitarian aid to Gaza, says "the only thing our enemies need is a bullet to the head" pic.twitter.com/4pinCpE8dc
— charlie summers (@cbsu03) May 26, 2025
He also calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to implement the death penalty for Palestinian terrorists, touting the harshening of conditions for security prisoners on his watch as national security minister, a position that oversees the Israel Prison Authority.
As the crowd begins to chant the common anti-Arab refrain “May their village burn,” Ben Gvir tells the celebrants: “Guys, I want to say something — I don’t hate Arabs, but I hate terrorists, and I want a death penalty for terrorists, and God willing, we must win.”
The Times of Israel Community.