Ben-Gvir must be prosecuted for war crimes, the foundation said, including crimes against US nationals.
By Shireen Akram-Boshar
This article was originally published by Truthout
Ben-Gvir must be prosecuted for war crimes, the foundation said, including crimes against US nationals.
The Hind Rajab Foundation has called on the U.S. to investigate Israel’s far right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for war crimes ahead of his visit to New York City in early July.
On Saturday, the Belgium-based foundation filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, stating that the U.S. has the jurisdiction and the legal obligation to investigate, arrest, and prosecute Ben-Gvir during his visit to New York City. Ben-Gvir is set to attend the United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit on July 7 and 8 in the city.
Ben-Gvir must be prosecuted for his involvement in war crimes, the foundation stated, including crimes against U.S. nationals. The national security minister has been “one of the chief architects and champions of the genocide against the Palestinian people,” the foundation said.
The foundation explained that Ben-Gvir, as minister of national security, has overseen the transformation of Israel’s prison system into “a network of torture camps” where abuse and sexual violence are routine.
“Since his appointment to the position in late 2022, Ben-Gvir has used his authority to enact a policy of systematic torture, murder, abuse, and forced displacement” of Palestinians, in particular those detained in Israel’s prison system. He has “personally participated in instances of torture and cruel or inhuman treatment” in Israeli prisons, the foundation adds.
Ben-Gvir also spearheaded Israel’s death penalty law, which came into effect in May. The national security minister pushed for the death penalty to be mandatory for Palestinians who cause the death of an Israeli citizen “with the aim of denying the existence of the State of Israel,” when the death penalty was previously only permissible in extremely rare cases.
The Hind Rajab Foundation also noted Ben-Gvir’s pattern of inciting violence against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as well as in Lebanon. Earlier in June, Ben-Gvir stated that “All of Lebanon must burn!”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has previously said that he would direct the New York City Police Department to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city, in accordance with the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Netanyahu for war crimes. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has called for the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Ben-Gvir as well.
Protests against Ben-Gvir’s visit are planned for July 7 at the UN.
The Hind Rajab Foundation, founded in 2024, has filed dozens of criminal complaints against Israeli soldiers for their involvement in war crimes. The foundation is named for Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old girl who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. Soldiers shot at the car Hind and her family members were in at least 335 times.
Jake Romm, Hind Rajab Foundation’s representative in the U.S., noted that Ben-Gvir has tortured and abused U.S. citizens.
“This moment is a test,” he said. “Is this government more dedicated to Israeli impunity than it is to the rule of law? Is this government more dedicated to protecting war criminal and genocidaire Itamar Ben-Gvir than it is to protecting its own citizens?”
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