Ben-Gvir says Netanyahu is trying to exclude him from next government — Jerusalem Post
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is, according to him, trying to prevent him from joining the next government. In an interview with radio station 103FM, Ben-Gvir said he takes reports of such intentions personally, although he stressed that his goal is to work for the state. This was reported by the Jerusalem Post.
Statements ahead of the elections
The leader of the Otzma Yehudit party said that Netanyahu allegedly speaks during foreign trips about the possibility of forming a government without him. Ben-Gvir called this unpleasant and noted that they had been partners throughout the current government’s term.
According to the minister, some international figures do not approve of his presence in Israeli politics. He also said that he was the only cabinet member who voted against allowing humanitarian aid trucks through, which, he claims, Europeans had sought. Ben-Gvir believes that his party’s significant result in the Knesset elections will make it harder to exclude him from a future coalition.
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Criticism from partners and opponents
Ben-Gvir is also facing criticism from ultra-Orthodox coalition partners. Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, the spiritual leader of the Shas party, urged voters not to support Otzma Yehudit.
The minister responded to comments by former minister Chili Tropper. He said that Ben-Gvir’s statements about tougher detention conditions for Palestinian prisoners, according to his claim, led Hamas militants to mistreat hostages in Gaza. Ben-Gvir rejected this statement, saying that Tropper is repeating the Hamas narrative.
Separately, Ben-Gvir criticized former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, accusing him of using bots and fake accounts on social media. He challenged Bennett to a public debate and reproached him for a coalition with Ra’am party leader Mansour Abbas and for what he sees as a lack of results on the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military.
