Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir marked his 50th birthday with cakes decorated with a noose, including one carrying the message “sometimes dreams come true”, in imagery referencing executions of Palestinians. The woman in the video presenting the cake to him is his wife, Ayala Ben-Gvir. Photos from the event show the noose symbol displayed prominently across multiple cakes at a gathering attended by senior police officials and political allies.
The symbolism points directly to Ben-Gvir’s push for a new controversial law enabling the execution of Palestinians, with hanging seen as the intended method under legislation advanced this year.
The display has drawn anger as it openly reflects a policy direction centred on state executions, reinforcing longstanding positions Ben-Gvir has taken in favour of capital punishment targeting Palestinians.
The video was first posted to an Israeli telegram group “ramreports”, on May 2.
Death penalty law for Palestinians only passed in Israeli Knesset
On 30 March, Israel passed legislation on the death penalty, applied exclusively to Palestinians. The death sentence must be carried out on a mandatory basis, and within an accelerated time-frame of 90 days, by hanging.
The law was passed by 62 lawmakers to 48, marking a grim turning point in discriminatory policy and extremism in the Israeli Knesset.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who introduced the bill, had been openly advocating for the death penalty exclusively for Palestinians. Minutes after the law was passed, Ben-Gvir popped open a bottle of champagne.
For months, Ben-Gvir and his supporters in the Knesset wore golden-coloured noose-shaped pins to symbolize their demand for the death penalty bill.
Referring to Palestinian prisoners, Ben-Gvir said to the Israeli press, “As someone who took everything from them, I also want to take their lives. This is right, this is just, this is the truth.”
As reported by the Times of Israel, this “effectively enshrines capital punishment for Palestinians alone, as it explicitly excludes Israeli citizens or residents, and Palestinians alone are tried in military courts. Israelis are tried in civilian courts.”
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