Israeli authorities have thrown eight Palestinian prisoners into solitary confinement for making a cake to celebrate the possible departure of extremist national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir following Tuesday's election.
The prisoners at Lavi prison had saved up food over several days to make the cake in order to express hope that the vote will lead to the minister's exit from the government.
Prison guards found the cake in a cell, prompting officials to take disciplinary measures against the eight and send them to solitary confinement.
Ben-Gvir praised prison officials for the decision and mocked prisoners' lack of access to food.
"The terrorists in Lavi Prison sat and hoarded what little food they had, a spoonful of jam here, a slide of bread there, day after day," he wrote in a social media post.
"They did this for several days, all so they could make an improvised cake and celebrate if I am not elected," he continued.
המחבלים בכלא לביא ישבו ואגרו מהמעט מזון שיש להם. כף ריבה ועוד כף ריבה, פרוסת לחם ועוד פרוסת לחם, כך במשך כמה ימים, הכל כדי להכין עוגה מאולתרת ולחגוג ביום שלישי, במידה ולא אבחר. אלא שנציב שב״ס המצוין ואנשיו איתרו את העוגה, והאסירים הועמדו לדין משמעתי, והועברו לצינוק. הם כבר תכננו את החגיגות, אבל אצלנו נגמרה החגיגה. ביום שלישי אסור לתת להם לחגוג, מצביעים ב׳ בקלפי!
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) October 25, 2026
Ben-Gvir, who leads the Kahanist Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power party, has attempted to make conditions for Palestinian inmates as unbearable as possible since taking control of Israeli prisons in 2022.
He has also personally taken part in the abuse and humiliation of Palestinian prisoners, as well as captured activists from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.
Israeli rights group B'Tselem has described Ben-Gvir's prison system as a "network of torture camps" that subjects Palestinians to physical and psychological abuse, starvation and inhuman conditions.
Ben-Gvir also led efforts to introduce the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners.
Otzma Yehudit is expected to gain seats in the Knesset following Tuesday's vote, profiting from the growing radicalisation of young Israelis.
Polls tracked by The New Arab project the party to pick up eight seats and become joint fifth-largest party in the assembly.
In 2022, the party was only able to make it into the Knesset by forming a joint list with Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism and another small far-right group.