National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir issued a response to recent claims by the ISA that his ministry was responsible for the release of the director of the Shifa Hostpital.
"It's time to dismantle the spins and respond to the flood of news flashes and false accusations from the ISA and their spokespeople in the media," he began.
"In the prisons under the responsibility of the Israel Prison Service where many terrorists have been absorbed, overcrowding has occurred. But I never imagined releasing terrorists from prison because it is crowded for them."
He added, "This is the core of the dispute between me and Ronen Bar. Ronen Bar claims that the terrorists' conditions in prison, including the overcrowding, look bad to the world and could lead to escalation. I claim that if any other country in the world were subjected to what we have been subjected to, it would do much more and would not care about what anyone else thinks. Is it crowded for them? Next time, they should think twice before they go out to slaughter, rape, and plunder."
"As for the ISA claims that the Israel Prison Service and the Ministry of National Security have done nothing to create and add new prison spaces – this is nonsense, fully backed by the left-wing media. The Israel Prison Service has already started an accelerated construction project for new prison spaces, and since October, 2,500 new prison spaces have been added. Another project began last April, which includes the construction of 936 additional prison spaces currently underway, and in addition to the emergency construction during the war, the Israel Prison Service will complete by the end of the year a construction project of approximately 1,200 prison spaces across the country. All this, alongside the fact that since the start of the war, the Israel Prison Service has absorbed a record number of over 5,000 terrorists arrested by security forces.
"It is very possible that even after the addition of the new prison spaces is completed, there will still be overcrowding for the many terrorists in prison. I have already proposed a much simpler solution, which is the enactment of the death penalty for terrorists, a legislation to which the ISA is staunchly opposed. But until this legislation, with G-d’s help, passes, nothing will happen if the terrorist who on October 7th burned a baby, is crowded in the prison cell where he rots."
MK Benny Gantz called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to appoint a project supervisor to expand the detention facilities{ "These terrorists should be punished in Israel for their crimes or at least serve as a bargaining chip for the return of our abductees in any future negotiations," he wrote.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel condemned Ben Gvir's criticism of Bar. "I support Ronen Bar and the ISA's employees. There is no place for this discourse against public servants who are sacrificing themselves for the defense of the homeland. It is expected of the prime minister to prevent this wild outburst against them. Differences of opinion are allowed, but accusations of military coups are poison that must not be normalized and tolerated."
MK Tally Gotliv lashed out at Arbel in response: "Ronen Bar releases the terrorist commander of the terror headquarters in Shifaa, and Moshe Arbel of Shas is in a hurry to support him after he lied and accused the whole world until he admitted that it was his decision and did not bring it to the government's knowledge. Moshe Arbel of Shas also said that the Attorney General does not need to be fired. If a minister in Israel is not brave enough to give a sharp criticism of the head of the ISA, he is not worthy to be a minister - but he wants to be a Supreme Court judge, so everything is clear," she added.
She also criticized Bar directly: "Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet, is a liar. He says he does not arrest terrorists who plan an attack because of a shortage of prison conditions in the IPS. There is no shortage of prison conditions in the IPS unless the IPS's view is that every terrorist deserves a deluxe room."
"The head of the ISA does not hesitate to cancel the arrest of terrorists who plan attacks because in his opinion crowded prison conditions may cause violent incidents in prison. We might as well abandon the security of the citizens of Israel to their fate, so long a terrorists will be given spacious prison conditions. Hallucination! The ISA has learned nothing!" she concluded.