Bill to ban Red Cross visits to Palestinian prisoners fails as Haredim boycott vote

A proposed bill that sought to prohibit the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from visiting Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli facilities has been voted down in its initial reading by the Knesset. The bill failed to advance after Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties staged a boycott of the vote, a tactic they have employed to protest the coalition's perceived inaction on legislation important to their own agenda.

The vote saw 36 lawmakers in favor and 41 against, resulting in the bill's rejection. Under Knesset rules, the proposal cannot be reintroduced for another six months, effectively pushing any further consideration past the general elections mandated by late October. This outcome represents a setback for proponents of the ban, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has been a vocal advocate for harsher conditions for Palestinian detainees.

“

Thanks to you the Nukba will be rewarded with Red Cross visits in prison. How can you sleep at night?

Far-right minister Ben Gvir publicly criticized the Haredi Shas party, blaming its leader Aryeh Deri for the bill's failure. He accused Shas of allowing the 'Nukba', a term often used by Hamas, to be "rewarded with Red Cross visits in prison." Shas responded by asserting that Israelis prioritize "security in the streets, not tweets."

The legislative push came in the wake of a High Court ruling earlier this month that annulled the government's policy of banning Red Cross visits. The court determined that the ban lacked legal basis under both Israeli and international law. The government had initially imposed the ban after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, a move that drew criticism from human rights organizations. The court noted that a key government justification for the ban, the denial of Red Cross visits to Israeli hostages held by Hamas, no longer applied, as the last hostages were released in October of the previous year.

“

Shas hit back by saying that Israelis want “security in the streets, not tweets.”