National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir gave his first foreign media interview since the governing coalition came together in late 2022, during which he made contentious remarks on the war in Gaza and US support.
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The backdrop of the interview was a ceasefire and hostage return deal, following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack in which over 1,200 Israelis died and over 240 were abducted back to Gaza, but Ben-Gvir thinks the negotiations put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "at a crossroads."
Allies and Arab countries involved in the negotiations want to end the war that erupted after Oct. 7, with some pushing the creation of a Palestinian state as a solution to the multifaceted crisis. Ben-Gvir, on the other hand, suggested repopulating Gaza with Israeli settlements and said Netanyahu "has to choose in what direction he'll go."
The far-right minister, who gained popularity in Israel since the Oct. 7 attack, repeatedly voiced opposition to ending the war before Hamas was fully defeated and incapable of carrying out such massacres again, as well as being against freeing thousands of Palestinians imprisoned for terrorism in exchange for the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Instead, Ben-Gvir suggested a plan to "encourage Gazans to voluntarily emigrate to places around the world" by offering cash incentives, which would be "the real humanitarian" option, based on his own discussions with Palestinians in the West Bank and "intelligence material."
He also expressed rare public criticism of a sitting US president, "Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel [to Gaza], which goes to Hamas."
"If Trump was in power, the US conduct would be completely different," Ben-Gvir said, referring to the former president Donald Trump who is currently seeking a second term as the Republican frontrunner in the 2024 elections.
The sentiment has been growing stronger in Israel, with protests attempting to block aid convoys from passing cargo crossing points to Gaza. Furthermore, Ben-Gvir believed Biden hampered the war effort and Trump would give more freedom to fight Hamas.
Minister Benny Gantz, a war cabinet member, called Ben-Gvir's interview "a direct attack on Israel's international status, a direct attack on the war effort, harmful to Israel's security and above all proves that he understands nothing about foreign policy."
"I would call on the prime minister to restrain him, but Netanyahu has no control over the extremists in his government," the war cabinet minister concluded.
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This article was first published by i24NEWS.
