Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair has lashed out at his father’s coalition ally Itamar Ben-Gvir over his refusal to join a united list with Smotrich for elections
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair has launched a sharp attack on extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, accusing him of putting Israel’s ruling far-right coalition at risk and turning the police into a tool against right-wing activists.
Yair criticized Ben-Gvir’s refusal to form an electoral merger with other far-right parties, warning that the fragmentation of votes could cause some parties to fail to cross the electoral threshold, causing the far-right governing coalition to lose its parliamentary majority of 61 seats.
“The danger that the right-wing bloc will fail to secure 61 seats simply doesn’t interest you. You don’t care if a government led by Yair Golan, [Gadi] Eisenkot and the Muslim Brotherhood is formed,” Yair said.
The “Muslim Brotherhood” reference appeared to be to Mansour Abbas’s United Arab List, which may join a possible future Israeli government led by anti-Netanyahu opposition parties after elections due to be held in October.
Yair added that in opposition, the only thing Ben-Gvir would do is “make TikTok videos”
Yair also attacked Ben-Gvir’s performance at the head of the National Security Ministry, claiming that under his leadership the police had been turned into a left-wing political tool. He accused the police of targeting right-wing activists and arresting people over political offences.
Yair’s father Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier publicly warned Ben-Gvir that failing to unite with the Religious Zionism party led by Bezalel Smotrich “could lead to the formation of a government including Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan, and the Arab parties.”
Ben-Gvir responded that “Netanyahu knows the polling results very well, and what is needed is to find a solution for the Religious Zionism Party without imposing a union with Jewish Power.”
Ben-Gvir, who heads the Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party previously rejected an invitation by Netanyahu to meet with Smotrich to discuss a united electoral list with Religious Zionism, saying that “running in the elections together will not happen under any circumstances.”
On Friday, Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party announced that the decision to run on a separate electoral list was “final and absolute and will not change under any circumstances.”
Ben-Gvir has a history of violent incitement against Palestinians and was the driving force behind a new Israeli law allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners.
He has previously visited prisons to taunt Palestinian inmates and on Sunday boasted of worsening prison conditions for them.
