Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, a state rabbinical judge and IDF reservist, has been named one of the honorary torchlighters for Israel’s Independence Day ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, scheduled for April 21, 2026. The selection, announced by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, has drawn significant criticism due to Zarbiv’s public statements advocating for the destruction of Gaza and the establishment of Israeli settlements there. Zarbiv, 54, serves on the Tel Aviv rabbinical court and has served in reserve duty with the Givati infantry brigade since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack. During his service, he operated a D9 Caterpillar bulldozer used to raze buildings in Gaza. In multiple interviews with right-wing media, Zarbiv has called to “flatten Gaza,” establish settlements in the Strip, drive out Palestinians from the north, and “destroy” anyone who remains behind. His selection has been condemned by human rights organizations, who argue that honoring him endorses ethnic cleansing and war crimes. The Israel Religious Action Center, the public advocacy arm of the Reform Jewish movement in Israel, filed a complaint that led to a February 2026 ruling by State Ombudsman for Judges, Judge Asher Kula, which found that Zarbiv violated ethics rules by publicly expressing his views on controversial issues. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has distanced itself from the selection. IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin stated that Zarbiv was not chosen in coordination with the military and is not an IDF representative at the ceremony. According to the IDF, its official representatives for the event include Col. “Gimmel,” head of the Israeli Air Force’s Iran department, and Maj. Nurit Rokah, who was wounded during the October 7 attack and again during subsequent fighting in Gaza. The annual torch-lighting ceremony marks the transition from Memorial Day to Independence Day and is considered one of Israel’s central state events. Zarbiv is among 14 individuals selected for their “extraordinary contribution to society and the state,” alongside a scientist, a Michelin-starred chef, a leading doctor, members of the security forces, and entrepreneurs. Zarbiv has gained notoriety through videos documenting his bulldozer operations in Gaza, often accompanied by inflammatory rhetoric. In one voiceover, he declares, “You will have nothing left. We will flatten you and destroy you.” The footage has entered Hebrew slang, where “to Zarbiv” now means to destroy—a term he has embraced, using it as the title of a lecture earlier this year.
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