Ben-Gvir shares AI video of Palestinian detainee ahead of elections

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted an AI-generated video on Tuesday showing a gaunt Palestinian detainee alongside real footage mocking prisoners who describe squalid jail conditions. The clips, shared on social media ahead of October’s snap elections, aim to rally his far-right base by portraying harsh treatment of Palestinians as justified.

Ben-Gvir’s campaign escalated after a deadly Hamas attack on October 7 last year killed 1,200 Israelis and led to Israel’s invasion of Gaza, where over 38,000 Palestinians have since died. Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have reported severe overcrowding, medical neglect, and torture, with rights groups documenting hundreds of cases. Ben-Gvir has long advocated for harsher policies, including expanded use of administrative detention—holding Palestinians without charge—and has called for prisoners to face “harsh treatment.” His latest videos reflect a strategy to portray toughness as a political necessity in a climate of heightened fear and anger.

Human rights groups condemned the AI video as dehumanizing. Amnesty International’s Israel campaigner said it “fuels hatred and undermines any chance of accountability.” Palestinian prisoners’ rights groups reported a 40% rise in reported abuses in Israeli detention centers since October, including beatings, isolation, and denial of family visits. Ben-Gvir’s party, Otzma Yehudit, has gained in polls as mainstream right-wing parties adopt his rhetoric, shifting Israel’s political center further right.

The escalation comes as Israel’s government faces growing international scrutiny over alleged war crimes and settler violence in the West Bank. With elections looming, Ben-Gvir is positioning himself as the defender of Israeli security, using graphic imagery to justify his hardline stance. Critics warn the tactic risks deepening cycles of violence and dehumanization, making peace even less likely.