On Wednesday, after Israeli forces intercepted a protest flotilla headed to Gaza and hauled the participants to an Israeli port, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir did what any responsible official would do: he posted a video on social media. The clip shows the far-right politician gleefully taunting handcuffed, kneeling detainees with nationalist slogans. When one activist shouts “Free Palestine!” and is shoved to the ground by security personnel, Ben-Gvir captions the masterpiece: “This is how we receive supporters of terror.” It’s the kind of PR gift that keeps on giving - to Israel’s enemies.
Ben-Gvir, it turns out, is not merely a nightmare for Israeli liberals; he’s the fulfillment of the fantasies of every group that wants Israel destroyed. The flotilla activists, who claimed they wanted to “break the siege” of Gaza, were really just hoping to provoke Israeli authorities and document the reaction. They could not have dreamed that the official in charge of the country’s police would do their job for them - complete with a highlight reel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response? Pathetically restrained, which is diplomatic for “doing absolutely nothing.”
In February 2021, Netanyahu declared that Ben-Gvir “is unfit” to serve as a minister, adding “his positions are not mine.” Then Netanyahu lost that election, became prime minister again in November 2022, and suddenly decided that unfit was the new qualified. Placing Ben-Gvir in charge of the police and prison services was like appointing an arsonist to run the fire department - which, conveniently, also falls under his authority.
Ben-Gvir is not just an authoritarian racist; he’s a convicted criminal. Israeli courts have found him guilty of eight offenses, including rioting, obstructing a police officer, incitement to racism, possession of terrorist propaganda, and support for a terrorist organization. Raised secular by Iraqi Jewish parents, he became religious at 12 and joined the Kach movement, later designated a terrorist group in Israel. He never served in the military - disqualified by his Kach membership - but made up for it in October 1995 by ripping the hood ornament off Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s Cadillac and declaring, “Just like we got to this emblem, we’ll get to him, too.” Weeks later, Rabin was assassinated by far-right extremist Yigal Amir.
Since his appointment, Ben-Gvir has transformed the police into a political militia. He personally approves every appointment at the rank equivalent to U.S. commander, and his wife Ayala reportedly helped oust Tel Aviv District Commander Ami Eshed for not using enough force against anti-government protesters. The result? The murder rate hit a new high in Israel over the past year, youth violence spiked, and settler violence against Palestinians surged while police conveniently look the other way. After Hamas’s October 7, 2023, invasion and the kidnapping of 251 people, Ben-Gvir worsened conditions for Palestinian prisoners. Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar warned him this would harm Israeli hostages; Ben-Gvir ignored him, and so did Netanyahu. Released hostages later reported being beaten and tortured while captors said, “This is because of Ben-Gvir.”
In any functioning democracy, a prime minister would fire a minister like Ben-Gvir. In the Israel of 10 or 20 years ago, a man like him would never see a cabinet room. But Netanyahu, for whom political survival consistently trumps the good of the country, will likely let Ben-Gvir keep lighting the place on fire. It’s a safe bet, because the arsonist is now running the fire department.