- Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, known for advocating the "flattening" of Gaza and boasting about destroying Palestinian homes, was chosen to light a torch at Israel's Independence Day ceremony.
- Zarbiv, an Israeli military reservist and rabbinical judge, was introduced as a "bulldozer operator on the front lines of fire" at the event, which was also attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- His selection drew widespread condemnation from Israeli rights groups like B’Tselem and the Haaretz newspaper, with B'Tselem accusing the country of risking "making genocide part of its official national ethos."
- The Israeli military distanced itself from the choice, stating Zarbiv was "not selected in coordination with the IDF" and was not an official IDF representative.
- Despite the criticism, ceremony planner Miri Regev defended Zarbiv's selection, calling him a "paragon of deep commitment to the nation of Israel" and representing the national religious community.
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