Itamar Ben-Gvir is an Israeli lawyer and lawmaker who is the head of the far-right Otzma Yehudit Party. He currently serves as the country's national security minister.
Though born in Mevaseret Zion near Jerusalem, Ben-Gvir now resides as a settler in Hebron in the West Bank and has made several controversial trips to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. He has faced numerous charges of hate speech and was convicted of supporting the terrorist group Kach, the party founded by extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane. He remains an incredibly divisive figure in Israeli politics to this day.
Time will tell what he will do and which direction he will choose to take the police in, but there is no doubt that this is one of the most critical public security bodies this country has.
Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf defended his Temple Mount visit on Tisha B'Av, stating it was coordinated and criticizing Jewish condemnations.
Israel's government removed the next three bills from the plenum's agenda after realizing they no longer had a majority.
Leading Ashkenazi haredi newspaper criticized Itamar Ben-Gvir for visiting the Temple Mount, urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to act against him.
Qatar, the US, and others condemned Ben Gvir's Temple Mount visit as provocative, warning it could derail hostage release talks.
Netanyahu’s authority is in question as he publicly clashes with ministers and struggles to control policy amid ongoing crises.
The National Security Minister responded to the video shortly after its release, saying that the video did come from the terrorist organization and that he is "not afraid of them.
With Tisha B'Av approaching, a new survey reveals that nearly half of Israelis worry about a potential civil conflict. The poll also explores which leaders are seen as dividing the public.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded to the decision by criticizing state investigators and praising the conduct of Ch.-Supt. Amit Pollak.
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