Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has once again drawn international outrage, this time for a video in which he mocked foreign activists detained at an Israeli port. The activists were part of an aid flotilla attempting to breach Gaza's naval blockade. In the footage, Ben-Gvir waves an Israeli flag as the national anthem plays, while activists kneel with hands bound. He shouts, “Welcome to Israel. We are the landlords here.”
Global Condemnation
The reaction from Western governments was swift and unequivocal. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was “truly appalled,” stating the video “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity.” France, Italy, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Greece, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand also condemned the act, with some summoning Israeli ambassadors. Even the Trump administration voiced criticism; US Ambassador Mike Huckabee asserted Ben-Gvir had “betrayed the dignity of his nation.”
Many officials noted that Ben-Gvir’s own government denounced his actions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the stunt “not in line with Israel’s values,” while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar tweeted, “You knowingly caused harm to our state. No, you are not the face of Israel.”
Ben-Gvir’s Central Role
Yet Ben-Gvir is very much the face of Israel. He holds one of the most powerful positions in the government as national security minister, a role created specifically for him. He oversees police forces, has cracked down on Palestinian citizens’ freedom of expression, distributed 10,000 assault rifles to Jewish civilians, and worked to alter the status quo on the Temple Mount. He also controls Israel’s prison system, which human rights group B’Tselem describes as a “network of torture camps.” Palestinian detainees report rape and sexual abuse, and nearly 100 have died in custody since October 7, 2023. Ben-Gvir also pioneered legislation imposing the death penalty on Palestinians only.
His influence extends beyond his ministry. A longtime supporter of racist rabbi Meir Kahane, Ben-Gvir has revived Kahane’s agenda of mass expulsion of Palestinians. He was brought into power by Netanyahu, who brokered a merger with Bezalel Smotrich ahead of the 2022 election. Their joint party became the third-largest in the Knesset, enabling Netanyahu to form the most right-wing coalition in Israeli history. Netanyahu cannot simply fire Ben-Gvir without risking his own political survival.
Mainstreaming Kahanism
Ben-Gvir’s true victory is the mainstreaming of Kahanism. While Kahane was boycotted by the Knesset in 1987, today Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party differs little from others, including Netanyahu’s Likud. Likud ministers have called for “erasing Gaza” and a “Nakba that will overshadow the Nakba of 1948.” The government and opposition backed the army’s actions in Gaza, and Netanyahu sought locations for mass transfer of Gazan refugees.
Ben-Gvir may be the most brazen, but his ideological spirit is found throughout Israeli society, from the youth to the police and army. As Ben Reiff, deputy editor at +972 magazine, writes, “What better face could there be for Israel today?”
