In a recent interview with N12, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ignited controversy among the chattering class by claiming the right of Jewish Israelis to travel safely on the roads of Judea and Samaria took precedence over the freedom of movement for local Arabs. “My right to life comes before their right to freedom of movement,” he said.
This statement came on the backdrop of questions about the government’s perceived inadequacy in tackling the rise in terrorism and crime rates. Ben-Gvir pointed fingers at the former leadership, accusing the previous government led by Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett of collaborating in terrorist activities.
In defense of the current government’s actions against crime and terrorism, Ben-Gvir commented that combatting crime is a long-term process, highlighting police staffing shortages. He slammer the previous administration. “They were allies of the Islamic Movement, whereas we are actively opposing such entities,” Ben-Gvir noted.
He called for more administrative detentions and suggested deploying the Shin Bet in the fight against criminal activity in Israel.
In response to these controversial statements, the Kaplan Force protest movement equated Ben-Gvir’s rhetoric with the language of the KKK: “Ben-Gvir’s blatant racism goes unchecked in the coalition, which reflects a fragmentary leadership influenced by Netanyahu.”
