Who is Ben Gvir? Minister resigned from Netanyahu’s cabinet

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s far-right national security minister resigned from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet Sunday to express his disapproval the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Itamar Ben-Gvir’s resignation does not threaten the ceasefire, but it weakens Netanyahu’s governing coalition. If other far-right MPs leave the government – ​​as Ben-Gvir has encouraged them to do – the prime minister could lose his parliamentary majority, which could force early elections.

It is the latest act of defiance by the 48-year-old ultranationalist settler leader, who has transformed over the decades from an outlaw and provocateur to one of the country’s leading politicians. the most influential in Israel.

Here’s a closer look at Ben-Gvir:

Why did Ben-Gvir oppose the ceasefire agreement?

The ceasefire interrupt the war and free dozens of hostages detained by militants in Gaza. Ben-Gvir opposed the deal because it requires Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and withdraw its troops from Gaza’s southern border with Egypt – and because it leaves open the possibility that Hamas remains in power in Gaza.

Before his resignation, he said the ceasefire was “reckless” and would “destroy all of Israel’s achievements.”

In his Cabinet post, Ben-Gvir oversaw the country’s police force. He has used his influence to encourage Netanyahu to continue the war in Gaza and recently boasted of blocking past efforts to achieve a ceasefire.

He also made several visits to the headquarters of Jerusalem most sensitive holy place – the contested hilltop compound that houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque – including last month. During one such visit in July, he said he came to pray for the return of the hostages “but without a reckless deal, without surrendering.”

The move, while legal, was seen as provocative, violating a long-standing ban on Jewish prayer in that country and threatening to disrupt months of sensitive negotiations. The site is revered by Jews as the Temple Mount.

Troubles with the law

Ben-Gvir has been convicted eight times for offenses including racism and supporting a terrorist organization. When he was a teenager, his views were so extreme that the army barred him from compulsory military service.

Ben-Gvir gained notoriety in his youth as a disciple of the deceased racist rabbi Meir Kahane. He became a national figure for the first time when he broke a hood ornament from former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s car in 1995.

“We have reached his car, and we will reach him too,” he said, just weeks before Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist opposed to his peace efforts with the Palestinians.

Two years later, Ben-Gvir took responsibility for orchestrating a campaign of protests, including death threats, that forced Irish singer Sinead O’Connor to leave the country. cancel a peace concert in Jerusalem.

Go mainstream

THE political rise of Ben-Gvir was the culmination of years of effort by the media-savvy lawmaker to gain legitimacy. But it also reflects a rightward shift by the Israeli electorate that has brought its religious and ultranationalist ideology into the mainstream and diminished hopes for Palestinian independence.

Ben-Gvir trained as a lawyer and became known as a defense attorney for extremist Jews accused of violence against Palestinians.

Blessed with a quick wit and cheerful attitude, the outspoken Ben-Gvir also became a popular figure in the media, paving the way for his entry into politics. He was first elected to Parliament in 2021.

Ben-Gvir has called for the expulsion of his political opponents and, in the past, encouraged police to open fire on Palestinian stone throwers in a tense Jerusalem neighborhood while brandishing a pistol. As national security minister, he encouraged police to take a hard line against anti-government protesters.

Controversial minister

Ben-Gvir won his Cabinet post after 2022 elections that brought Netanyahu and his far-right partners, including Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party, to power.

“Last year, my mission was to save Israel,” Ben-Gvir told reporters before this election. “Millions of citizens are waiting for a true right-wing government. Now is the time to give them one.

Ben-Gvir has been a magnet for controversy throughout his tenure – encouraging the mass distribution of handguns to Jewish citizens, supporting Netanyahu’s controversial attempt to reform the country’s legal system, and frequently lashing out at leaders Americans for their perceived insults against Israel.

In May, Ben-Gvir criticized Joe Biden when the US president threatened to withhold some military aid if Israel invaded Rafah. Ben-Gvir, using a heart emoji in a post on social media platform X, wrote that Hamas loves Biden.

Political fallout

Ben-Gvir’s departure does not endanger the ceasefire, and Netanyahu still has a narrow parliamentary majority needed to retain power.

But if other hard-liners follow suit, Netanyahu’s government could collapse, triggering early elections.

“It is likely that he will have less survival time,” said Shmuel Rosner, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute and an analyst for Israeli public broadcaster Kan News.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would provide a political safety net for Netanyahu to ensure the government does not fall because of the deal.

But such a partnership is unlikely to last beyond the ceasefire because the two do not get along and would have difficulty working together, said Mairav ​​Zonszein, senior analyst on Israel at the International Crisis Group.