Ben Gvir deletes AI video showing emaciated Palestinian…

In September 2026, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir removed an AI-generated video from his social media accounts after the content sparked widespread outrage and comparisons to Nazi concentration camps. The post was intended to highlight the minister's policy of worsening conditions for Palestinian detainees.

What happened

The AI-generated footage depicted groups of Palestinian men in numbered prison uniforms moving along a conveyor belt toward a detention facility. Initially shown as well-fed with thought bubbles representing basic needs, the prisoners emerged from the facility visibly emaciated, distressed, and with unkempt beards. Ben Gvir captioned the video with the Hebrew phrase, "We promised – we delivered," referencing his public campaign to reduce prison standards to a bare minimum.

The imagery drew immediate condemnation from various figures, including US Senator Ruben Gallego, who criticized the minister's actions. Online commentators noted that the video’s depiction of systematic starvation and dehumanization mirrored the methods used in historical extermination camps. As criticism intensified, Ben Gvir deleted the video. This incident occurred alongside other displays by the minister, including footage of him confronting female detainees and separate claims regarding the construction of execution facilities for prisoners. Ben Gvir has frequently used his platform to advocate for harsher prison conditions, the death penalty for detainees, and the resettlement of Gaza, positions that have drawn scrutiny from both international observers and human rights organizations.