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Noose Cake at Ben-Gvir's Birthday Draws Police Brass, Triggers Backlash

The display underscored concern over far-right sway in Israel's security leadership.

Overview

  • National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir marked his 50th birthday with a cake topped by a golden noose and the words “Sometimes dreams come true.”
  • The noose referenced a new law that makes death the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of terrorism in Israeli military courts, which do not try Jewish citizens.
  • Attendees included senior Israel Police and Israel Prison Service officers alongside ultranationalist figures with prior convictions such as Benzi Gopstein and aide Osher Gabay.
  • Haaretz reported that the police chief approved the officers’ attendance, and no disciplinary steps tied to the event have been announced.
  • The celebration drew EU condemnation of the law as discriminatory and prompted protests in Ramallah, where activists rallied against executions.