National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was reported on Friday to have filmed himself speaking without the latter’s knowledge to the mayor of Taibe, telling a condolence meeting that “your friends” voted against anti-gun laws. Hours later, the mayor’s security guard was shot dead.
Ben Gvir met Shua Masrawa Mansour at his home after the murder of 25-year-old Adir Ganem in the early hours of Friday. Gunmen shot the guard outside the mayor’s residence late on Thursday night. Witnesses quoted by Ynet said that two suspects came outside Mansour’s house and called out the guard’s name. He came out from inside the house, whereupon, according to witnesses, the suspects opened fire and snatched his weapon before fleeing the scene.
Before entering Mansour’s house on his visit, Ben Gvir was heard telling reporters “no media”. But some time later the video of Ben Gvir’s comments inside was leaked, with a Ynet reporter saying that Mansour told him that the clip was filmed without his knowledge and distributed by someone on Ben Gvir’s staff. .
In it the minister was heard saying: “I have done several things, I hope they will help. There is no magic solution. Noting that he has put forward a number of laws to prevent illegal possession of weapons, Ben Gvir said, “You know some of your friends are not enabling me to pass these laws”—to Arab lawmakers. A clear reference for
“Why vote against gun laws? … Your kids are paying the price, not my kids.”
The minister later tweeted a screenshot from a report on the video and commented that Arab lawmakers “must get involved in this fight” which includes “supporting the police action”. Complaining and then doing the opposite of what is required is a formula that will no longer work.
Here is the video that Ben Gwir released from the meeting with Mayor Taiba Shuya Mansour, who had absolutely no idea he was being filmed pic.twitter.com/9Ye25eAwjM
– Paul Adam | Adam Qutub (@adam_kutub) April 21, 2023
It was not the first time recently that Ben Gwyr was accused of recording a person without their knowledge and then using the media for his own purposes.
media was recently leaked a recording Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai claimed in a phone call with the minister that it was part of the “nature” and “mindset” of Arab Israelis to kill each other. Shabtai’s office expressed displeasure over the publication of the comments in the press, saying that the commissioner was shocked that Ben Gvir and his office were “recording personal conversations between the minister and the commissioner and was upset that those dealing with the conversations The statements were taken out of context.” With patterns of conduct in Arab societies.
The police statement did not seek to retract the prejudicial comments attributed to Shabtai, and instead the commissioner claimed that there was a tendency in Arab society, whose members, the statement said, “refuse to reveal the identity of the killers, Even if it is known to the relatives of the victims.”
According to the anti-violence campaign group The Abraham Initiatives, police have launched an investigation into Ganem’s murder, which brings the number of people from Arab communities killed in violent incidents since the beginning of the year to 55. The watchdog said 51 of them died from gunfire.
Magar city’s Adir Ghanem, a veteran of the Kafir unit and a security guard in a private security unit, is the one who was killed in a shooting in Taiba a week ago after taking over as the mayor’s security guard. pic.twitter.com/XoBxpytaXf
– إناب حلبي إناب حلبي???? (@EinavHalabi) April 21, 2023
Police said they are looking for suspects in the murder and are also investigating whether the guard was the intended target of the murder.
In comments to the media shortly after the meeting with Ben Gvir, Mansour said he made “very frank comments” to the minister. “I received him in my house. I said to him, ‘If you had come [simply as yourself] I don’t let you come to my house. There is an ocean between us on political positions. You are coming here as the Minister of Public Security, who is in charge of my safety and the safety of every Arab in Israel. The decisive factor is the result: the killing of fifty-five people since the beginning of the year is an embarrassment to Israel, not just the police.
Gunmen also opened fire on Mansour’s home in Taibe two months ago, causing no casualties. The police are yet to make an arrest in that incident.
Arab communities have faced a wave of deadly violence in recent years. Many blame the police, claiming they have failed to crack down on powerful criminal organizations and largely ignore violence, including family feuds, mafia turf wars and violence against women.
especially startling incident Last Saturday, a 14-year-old boy was shot dead in the southern city of Rahat. According to the police, he was shot during the fight. Reports said that apart from this, a 17-year-old sustained minor injuries and has been admitted to the hospital for treatment.
