Extremist Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv Lights Torch for Israel’s Independence Day After Bulldozing Gaza Homes

Israel’s Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday include a torch-lighting role for Avraham Zarbiv, an extremist rabbi whose videos have documented his destruction of Palestinian homes in Gaza.

“Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem said that the Israeli government’s decision to honor a rabbi who publicly celebrated the destruction of Palestinian homes in Gaza reflects a deeper shift in which the erasure of Palestinians has become embedded in Israel’s national narrative”

- IMEMC News

The Guardian reports that Zarbiv, a “54-year-old” reservist who “drives an armoured bulldozer,” was chosen for the ceremony as one of “14 people” for their “extraordinary contribution to society and the state.”

- IMEMC News

The Guardian says Zarbiv’s selection marks an “official endorsement” of dehumanisation and systematic destruction, and it quotes B’tselem’s claim that “This selection sends a clear message to the citizens of Israel and the entire world – in Israel, genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes are the ‘spirit of the nation’.”

Al Jazeera describes the torch-lighting ceremony as one of Israel’s most symbolic national rituals, “traditionally reserved for individuals presented as embodying the ‘spirit of the nation.’”

Al Jazeera also places the torch-lighting within the broader calendar of Israel’s Memorial Day and Independence Day, saying the torches are lit “over the resting place of Theodor Herzl.”

In the same reporting, Al Jazeera notes that Israel’s military has publicly distanced itself from Zarbiv, with a military spokesperson saying he “was not selected in coordination” with the military and “was not representing it at the ceremony.”

The sources connect Zarbiv’s torch selection to a longer public record of destruction in Gaza and to statements he made while serving as a reserve bulldozer operator.

The Guardian says Zarbiv “rose to prominence through videos documenting his personal campaign of destruction in Gaza,” and it quotes one of his voiceovers: “You will have nothing left,” followed by “We will flatten you and destroy you.”

Al Jazeera

It adds that “To Zarbiv” entered “the lexicon of Hebrew slang,” and that the neologism became the title of a lecture earlier this year.

The Guardian reports that in January 2025 Zarbiv boasted of demolishing “50 homes a week” in Gaza, and it includes his quoted description of Rafah and Jabalya: “They have nothing to return to in Rafah and Jabalya … tens of thousands of families have no papers, childhood photos, ID cards, no homes. They have nothing.”

Al Jazeera similarly describes Zarbiv as a rabbi who was filmed throwing grenades at Palestinians in Khan Younis during a firefight, and it says he later recorded himself “gleefully demolishing Palestinian homes.”

In Al Jazeera’s account, Zarbiv’s threats and violence are paired with religious rituals, including blowing on a shofar and reciting prayers and parts of the Torah, while he delivers sermons from the ruins of Rafah promising “victory and settlement.”

Human rights organizations and legal advocates describe the torch selection as an endorsement of genocide-related rhetoric and as a signal that destructive conduct is being normalized.

“An extremist rabbi known for razing civilian homes in Gaza will light a torch at Israel’s independence day celebration on Tuesday, a role human rights campaigners said marked the embrace of genocide as the official “spirit of the nation””

The Guardian

The Guardian says B’tselem argued that Zarbiv’s selection “marks an official endorsement of the dehumanisation of Palestinians and systematic destruction of Palestinian life,” and it quotes B’tselem’s line that “This selection sends a clear message to the citizens of Israel and the entire world – in Israel, genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes are the ‘spirit of the nation’.”

The IMEMC report adds that B’tselem said the move “cannot be separated from the broader context of the war on Gaza,” and it frames Zarbiv’s elevation as “normalization of policies and rhetoric that human rights organizations have long warned, according to the group.”

IMEMC also quotes Al-Haq, saying the torch-lighting decision “reinforces a culture of impunity” and reflects a political environment in which “the destruction of civilian infrastructure is framed as a legitimate or even heroic act.”

Adalah is quoted in IMEMC as saying the selection “sends a dangerous message that state institutions are willing to reward individuals involved in actions that raise serious legal and ethical concerns,” and it adds that the move “further erodes the distinction between civilian and military spheres.”

Al Jazeera includes a direct quote from Dyab Abou Jahjah, cofounder of The Hind Rajab Foundation, who says, “he is a notorious perpetrator of grave international crimes,” and he adds, “His selection [for the Independence Day ceremony] is therefore not incidental – it is revealing.”

While rights groups criticize the torch selection, the sources also record official rationales and attempts to distance the military from Zarbiv.

The Guardian reports that Cabinet minister Miriam Regev chose Zarbiv because of his “inspirational” dual leadership as a rabbi and soldier, “between the book and the sword,” and it says that this endorsement undermines Israel’s defence against charges of genocide and incitement to genocide in international courts, citing Haaretz.

Wakala al-Sahafa al-Filastiniyah

The Guardian quotes Haaretz’s editorial framing, saying, “A country that chooses to honour and esteem someone who has become a symbol of the flattening of Gaza is telling the world that it sees him and his values as deserving respect and as representing the state,” and it adds, “Zarbiv indeed deserves to light an independence day torch: not because he is worthy of the honour, but because Israel has lost its way, its moral compass and its conscience.”

Al Jazeera describes the military’s distancing more directly, saying a military spokesperson told reporters last week that Zarbiv “was not selected in coordination” with the military and “was not representing it at the ceremony,” even though he is an army reservist.

Al Jazeera also quotes Regev’s statement about Zarbiv, saying she described him as continuing to serve in reserve duty and combining “in an inspiring way between the book and the sword – between Torah and the army, between study and action, and between spiritual leadership and security responsibility.”

The Guardian further says Israeli military chiefs sought to distance themselves from Zarbiv and that Brig Gen Effie Defrin told a news conference last week he “was not selected in coordination with the IDF – he is not an IDF representative at the torch-lighting ceremony.”

The sources describe multiple legal and institutional threads that extend beyond the torch-lighting ceremony, including complaints to judicial watchdogs and the International Criminal Court.

“Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem said that the Israeli government’s decision to honor a rabbi who publicly celebrated the destruction of Palestinian homes in Gaza reflects a deeper shift in which the erasure of Palestinians has become embedded in Israel’s national narrative”

- IMEMC News

The Guardian says Zarbiv’s own home has been under a demolition order for illegal construction since 2000, according to Kerem Navot, and it says that order has “never been enforced.”

- IMEMC News

It also reports that Zarbiv has been censured by Israel’s judicial watchdog for extremist statements, with Commissioner Asher Kula ruling earlier this year that he violated the code of ethics for judges.

Al Jazeera adds that last week Kerem Navot filed a complaint to Israel’s judicial watchdog after confirming Zarbiv built his home illegally on private Palestinian land in the Beit El settlement, accusing him of violating the ethics rules for both judges and rabbinic judges.

Al Jazeera further states that in January 2025 The Hind Rajab Foundation filed an official complaint against Zarbiv with the International Criminal Court (ICC), and it quotes Dyab Abou Jahjah describing Zarbiv as “a notorious perpetrator of grave international crimes.”

The IMEMC report says B’Tselem’s criticism included a call for independent international investigations into the conduct of Israeli forces in Gaza and the broader policies that have shaped the conflict.