A significant controversy has erupted following revelations that Kobi Yaakobi, Commissioner of the Israel Prison Service (IPS), organized guided tours for Israeli settlers to observe handcuffed Palestinian detainees held in restrictive conditions. According to an investigative report by Israeli news outlet Shomrim, far-right residents from the illegal Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem were granted exclusive access to Nitzan Prison near Ramla—one of Israel’s most secure detention facilities.
The visit, characterized as a ‘safari tour’ by observers, included guided walks through multiple prison wings, including high-security sections housing alleged members of Hamas’s Nukhba elite unit. Witnesses reported detainees being forced to lie on the floor in restraints during the tour. While IPS sources defended this as standard procedure during ‘operational activities,’ critics condemned the practice as dehumanizing spectacle.
The event featured a Torah lesson, extended Q&A session, and a specially prepared lavish lunch for the visiting settlers. This hospitality starkly contrasts with conditions described by Palestinian rights organizations, who report systematic malnutrition among detainees.
The incident coincides with escalating concerns over prisoner treatment during Ramadan. The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs alleges prison authorities are deliberately obscuring timekeeping to disrupt fasting rituals, with multiple reports confirming detainees were unaware of Ramadan’s commencement. Lawyers describe meals consisting of inadequate scraps, with denial of traditional suhoor (pre-dawn) and iftar (fast-breaking) provisions.
This episode highlights broader tensions regarding IPS transparency. The service maintains stringent access restrictions, having recently intensified bans on Red Cross visits citing national security concerns, while simultaneously permitting non-essential civilian tours. The apparent selectivity in access permissions has drawn condemnation from human rights advocates who accuse IPS of prioritizing ideological tourism over humanitarian obligations.