Ultra-nationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir becomes Israel’s national security minister

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the controversial leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Strength) party, will become Israel’s national security minister after his party signed a coalition agreement on Friday with Likud, led by prime minister designate Binyamin Netanyahu.

Otzma Yehudit won six seats in the election earlier this month, running as part of the Religious Zionist party slate, and will also receive the Negev and Galilee development and the Jewish heritage portfolios.

The ultra-nationalist politician was a follower of the racist anti-Arab Kach party, which was banned in Israel, and has been convicted dozens of times for public disturbance offences although he claims he has moderated his views in recent years.

On Wednesday, speaking at a bus stop in Jerusalem after a bomb blast left a teenager dead and some 20 people injured, he promised to restore deterrence and called for the assassination of militant leaders.

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Some Israeli-Arab parties and organisations have made it clear that they have no intention of maintaining either direct or indirect ties with Mr Ben-Gvir.

His new ministry is an expanded version of the public security ministry and includes some powers currently held by Israel’s police chief, as well as control over the West Bank border police – a military unit of 2,000 soldiers whose duties include dealing with disturbances, carrying out arrests and evacuating illegal settler outposts.

Mr Ben-Gvir said his party has been given the tools needed to restore security to Israel’s citizens.

“We took an important step to establish a full right-wing government,” he said after the signing. “I am happy that the agreement allows us to realise our election promises: for the security and strengthening of the Negev, the Galilee and the periphery.”

Outgoing defence minister Benny Gantz accused Mr Netanyahu of “creating a private army for Ben-Gvir in the West Bank”, adding that the deal constitutes “an admission that the real prime minister is going to be Ben-Gvir”.

Former army chief Gadi Eisenkot called Mr Ben-Gvir’s appointment to national security minister “a sad joke on the backs of the citizens of Israel”.

Senior police officials had warned that anticipated changes to the relationship between the police force and the minister in charge, demanded by Ben-Gvir, could spell the end of Israeli democracy.

Earlier this month Mr Netanyahu was given 28 days to form a government with the right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties, representing 65 of the 120 members of the Knesset parliament, which recommended him for prime minister.

However, the process is taking longer than Mr Netanyahu hoped. He still has to conclude the policy guidelines and distribution of ministerial positions before handing out what’s left to members of his own Likud.