Defense Minister Benny Gantz decided this evening (Wednesday) not to allow the chairman of the Otzma Yehudit party, the designated Minister of National Security, MK Itamar Ben Gvir, to meet in the military prison with an IDF fighter who was sent to ten days in custody following the incident with extreme left-wing activists in Hebron.
In a scathing letter he sent to Ben Gvir, Gantz wrote: "Your conduct constitutes a cynical exploitation of IDF soldiers in a manner that inspires disgust. This is a fundamental harm to the IDF. Therefore, despite the importance I attach to the immunity of Knesset members, I do not approve your visit.".
""The IDF has the exclusive authority to implement disciplinary and command aspects; any political intervention in the matter is completely unacceptable.".
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Ben Gvir was not left unsatisfied - and replied: "The one who exploits IDF soldiers cynically is Gantz, who abandoned them and created a leadership vacuum. When a defense minister supports anarchists instead of protecting his soldiers and giving them support, this is an attack on the army.".
In the letter of appeal that Ben-Gvir sent to Gantz to arrange the visit, he wrote: "I see nothing wrong with the soldier's behavior in the face of the harassers, and I regret the disproportionate punishment directed at him. I would like to visit the soldier in the military prison tomorrow to encourage his spirit.".
He added, "It can't be that anarchists come, curse, spit, attack our heroic soldiers. Fighters respond, you can certainly take them aside and tell them 'more proportionate, less proportionate response,' but send them to ten days in jail? It's not reasonable, it's not proportionate, it's not right, they didn't see it. Our job is to support our fighters, to support our soldiers, and I demand from the army, think twice about this punishment. It's a very bad message.".
