COMMENTARY - No, Israel's Security Minister Did Not Call for Indiscriminate Murder of Palestinians

Western media outlets have widely reported that Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians, with some outlets claiming he suggested killing 30 to 40 people nightly and stating they "are not even human." These reports have drawn strong condemnation from international figures, including French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz labeling the alleged calls as "inhumane and contrary to international law."

However, this article contends that these reports are a misrepresentation of Ben-Gvir's actual statements made during the same interview. It argues that the minister was specifically referring to targeted killings of terrorists, a practice that Israel has utilized for years. The author suggests that the context, where Ben-Gvir clearly identified his targets as "terrorists" and did not speak of "indiscriminate murder of Palestinians," was omitted or downplayed by the media.

The piece acknowledges that Ben-Gvir is a controversial figure, describing him as "tasteless" and "dangerous," citing past incidents such as posing with a guillotine cake and taunting activists. The author notes that Ben-Gvir's political strategy often involves threatening minorities and dehumanizing Palestinians. Nevertheless, the article maintains that in this particular instance, the international outcry was based on a distorted understanding of his words.

Furthermore, the article draws a parallel to the laws of armed conflict, stating that targeted killings of enemy combatants are permissible under international humanitarian law. It mentions that German soldiers operated within this framework in Afghanistan, providing intelligence for targeted assassinations. While not defending Ben-Gvir's rhetoric or actions, the author emphasizes that the specific accusation that led to widespread international condemnation was a misinterpretation, and that focusing on this distortion plays into the minister's hands.