Israel, cake with noose: symbolic gesture in opposition to Ben Gvir | EUROtoday

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The birthday of the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir has ignited political battle in Israel. To rejoice, in reality, the minister obtained a multi-tiered cake embellished with a loop, weapons and a controversial map of Israel which incorporates Gaza and the West Bank. Even uThe second dessert, delivered by Ben Gvir’s spouse, nonetheless bore the noose and the writing: «Congratulations to Minister Ben-Gvir. Sometimes desires come true.”

A frame from the video published on Instagram by Itamar Ben-Gvir, in which the Israeli Minister of National Security on his 50th birthday shows the cake given to him by his wife depicting a noose – a controversial symbol of support for the measure to reintroduce the death penalty in Israel applicable to Palestinians considered terrorists – as well as the writing “Congratulations to Minister Ben-Gvir. Sometimes desires come true”, 3 May 2026 Instagram / Itamar Ben-Gvir

The reference to the death penalty for Palestinian terrorists

The noose symbol refers directly to the reintroduction of capital punishment for Palestinians accused of terrorismsupported by Ben Gvir and his Otzmá Yehudit party and approved by the Knesset at the end of March. The minister himself had already used the noose symbol during several occasions during debates on the measure. The images of the cake were spread on the social channels of the minister’s far-right party.

The party and the participants

The celebration was held in the agricultural community of Emunim, near Ashdod, in the south of the country. Among the guests were political exponentsfar-right activists and members of the police staff. Precisely the presence of senior law enforcement officials fueled the controversy, also due to the role of the minister, who supervises the police and has already been criticized and investigated for alleged undue influence on the police.

Ben Gvir’s criticisms and response

The opposition spoke out harshly on this episode. The former prime minister Naphtali Bennetta candidate in this autumn’s elections, denounced the risk of political use of institutions, stating that “any public official, in any position and in any authorities company, who violates his fiduciary obligation in the direction of the nation and exploits his position in a political and non-statist method, will probably be instantly fired”. Also Yair Golan he defined the participation of police leaders in an event of this type as “a disgrace”.

Ben Gvir responded with a polemical tone, dismissing the criticisms and making enjoyable of his opponents. «Naftali has no buddies and even work relationships: ship him a slice of cake from the get together,” Ben Gvir responded.