Itamar Ben-Gvir

Itamar Ben-Gvir was born on May 6, 1976, in Mevaseret Zion, on the outskirts of Jerusalem.[1] His father worked for a gasoline company and wrote as a hobby; his mother was a Kurdish Jewish immigrant who had been active in the Irgun as a teenager.[1] He is married to Ayala Nimrodi, has five children, and lives in Kiryat Arba, in the West Bank — known by its original, indigenous Jewish name of Judea and Samaria — near Hebron.[1]

Ben-Gvir adopted religious and radical right-wing views during the First Intifada and became active in opposition to the Oslo Accords.[1] As a youth, he joined movements associated first with Moledet and later with Meir Kahane's Kach and Kahane Chai organizations, eventually becoming Kach's youth coordinator.[1][10] He also studied at the Yeshiva of the Jewish Idea, an institution established by Kahane.[10]

In 1995, at age 19, Ben-Gvir appeared on Israeli television holding a Cadillac emblem that he said had been taken from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's car. He declared, "We got to his car, and we'll get to him too."[1] The episode occurred several weeks before Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing extremist; Ben-Gvir was not implicated in the assassination.[10] The incident established his public image as an extreme political activist at a young age.

Ben-Gvir studied law at Ono Academic College.[1] The Israel Bar Association initially blocked him from taking the bar examination because of his criminal record. He appealed, and after being acquitted in three outstanding cases, he was permitted to obtain a law license.[1]

Once admitted to the bar, Ben-Gvir became known for representing far-right Jewish activists suspected of terrorism and hate crimes.[1] This practice reflected his ideological commitments and contributed to his standing within Jewish nationalist circles.

The Supreme Court's judgment in HCJ 8910/22 states that 15 indictments were filed against Ben-Gvir between 1993 and 2007. He was convicted fully or partially in 13 cases, while in two additional cases he was found to have committed the offenses without a conviction.[4] The listed offenses included publication of incitement to racism, identification with a terrorist organization, possession of propaganda supporting a terrorist organization, obstructing a police officer, breach of a lawful order, insulting a public servant, participation in an unlawful assembly or riot, and defacing real property.[4] The last offense was committed in 2002, the last conviction was issued in 2007, and his criminal records were deleted from the registry on January 7, 2021 under Israel's Criminal Information and Rehabilitation Law.[4]

A prominent 2007 conviction concerned incitement to racism and support for a terrorist organization after Ben-Gvir displayed signs reading "Expel the Arab enemy" and "Kahane was right."[10][4] The latter slogan was described as endorsing Kach's proposal to remove Arab citizens from Israel.[10]

Ben-Gvir has been identified as a protégé and disciple of Meir Kahane, the American-born rabbi whose Kach party was banned from the Knesset and made illegal under Israeli law.[5] For years, Ben-Gvir displayed a photograph of Baruch Goldstein in his Kiryat Arba home. Goldstein killed 29 Palestinian worshippers at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron in 1994.[1][5] Ben-Gvir later said he no longer considered Goldstein a hero and removed the photograph in 2019 after fearing that it would jeopardize his political prospects.[1]

Ben-Gvir's leadership of Otzma Yehudit, whose name translates as "Jewish Power," placed him at the head of a party described as an ideological successor to Kach.[10] Ben-Gvir has said that Otzma identifies with Kach's ideology while no longer advocating all of Kach's former racist and segregationist policies.[10] Reported party positions include annexing Judea and Samaria without granting Palestinians citizenship, encouraging the emigration of Arab citizens of Israel, imposing capital punishment in terrorism cases, and giving Jewish values greater weight than democratic values in judicial policy.[10]

The Anti-Defamation League describes Otzma Yehudit's leaders as self-identified disciples of Kahane and characterizes his ideology as a radical form of Jewish nationalism promoting anti-Arab racism, violence, and political extremism. The ADL argues that mainstreaming Kahane-inspired leadership challenges Israel's founding values of respect and equality for its citizens.[5]

Ben-Gvir has publicly tried to distinguish his current positions from some of Kahane's. At a November 2022 memorial for Kahane, he stated: "It is no secret that today I am not Rabbi Kahane and I do not support the deportation of all Arabs, and I will not enact laws for separate beaches."[1] During consultations with President Isaac Herzog after the election, Ben-Gvir said he was not racist and did not generalize about all Arabs.[1] The Congressional Research Service likewise reports that Ben-Gvir says he has moderated his positions and does not generalize about Arabs.[8]

Ben-Gvir entered the Knesset in 2021 as part of a joint electoral list uniting Otzma Yehudit, Noam, and Religious Zionism.[6] His election marked a significant threshold in his political trajectory. Sapir Journal notes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reportedly declined to be photographed with him a year earlier.[11]

During the 24th Knesset, Ben-Gvir served in roles on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and pursued parliamentary and public activity concerning internal security outside the Knesset.[2] The court record states that he was a prominent critic of then-Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev and met with internal-security officials in preparation for potentially entering the ministry.[2]

His public profile rose sharply during the May 2021 tensions centered on the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Ben-Gvir established a makeshift parliamentary office on the sidewalk using a folding table, chairs, and a pop-up canopy.[10] Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai accused him of bringing busloads of Lehava supporters to cities including Lod, Ramle, and Acre during the ensuing riots and of intensifying intercommunal violence.[10] Intelligence officials warned that Hamas might fire rockets at Jerusalem if Ben-Gvir did not withdraw from Sheikh Jarrah; days later, Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem, and 11 days of fighting followed.[10]

In the November 1, 2022 election for the 25th Knesset, Ben-Gvir headed Otzma Yehudit within a joint slate with Religious Zionism and Noam.[2][12] The slate received more than 600,000 votes and won 14 Knesset seats, making it the third-largest grouping in the new parliament.[6] After the election, Otzma Yehudit became an independent faction with six Knesset members, while Religious Zionism held seven seats and Noam one.[2][12]

The 37th Israeli government was established on December 29, 2022, after receiving the Knesset's confidence. Ben-Gvir was appointed Minister of Public Security, the portfolio's title at that time.[2] Government Decision 22, issued on January 8, 2023, renamed it the Ministry of National Security and changed Ben-Gvir's title accordingly.[2]

Before the government was formally established, Ben-Gvir submitted a bill to amend the Police Ordinance on December 12, 2022. The proposal was partially approved in second and third readings on December 27, becoming Police Ordinance (Amendment No. 37), 2022.[2] Portions of the amendment were subsequently challenged in petitions before the Supreme Court.[2]

Sapir Journal argues that, after four elections had failed to give Netanyahu a majority and a fifth returned him to power, his coalition depended on Ben-Gvir and the ultra-Orthodox parties. It further argues that Ben-Gvir's interest in weakening the justice system aligned with Netanyahu's political interests.[11]

As National Security Minister, Ben-Gvir has parliamentary responsibility for the Israel Police, the Israel Prison Service, and the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority.[7] His portfolio also includes responsibility for declaring police stations, detention centers, and prisons; authorizing officials to exercise enforcement powers; and issuing certain certificates of privilege connected with criminal proceedings.[7]

The coalition agreement assigned his ministry oversight of the national police and the Border Police operating in Judea and Samaria.[13] The Congressional Research Service states that the ministry has general authority over police personnel patrolling Jerusalem and its disputed holy sites and was expected to oversee Border Police units that had operated in the West Bank under Israel Defense Forces authority.[12] As of August 2026, Ben-Gvir was a member of the security cabinet but did not have authority over the military or the power to order strikes in Gaza.[14]

The Congressional Research Service reports that Ben-Gvir used control over internal-security bodies to make appointments that seemingly diminished checks on extremist settlers in the West Bank. It also reports that his policies increasingly permitted Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount despite Israel's formal commitment to a status quo intended to prevent non-Muslim worship there.[8]

Ben-Gvir and the rest of the Otzma Yehudit faction resigned from the government on January 19, 2025, in protest of a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement with Hamas.[1][3] The faction rejoined on March 18, and its ministers were reinstated.[1][3] Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara opposed Ben-Gvir's reappointment, arguing that it was legally unsound while proceedings concerning his ministerial conduct remained active.[3]

One of the most internationally visible dimensions of Ben-Gvir's ministerial tenure has been his engagement with the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site and the location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. The historic status quo permits non-Muslim visitors to access the compound but prohibits non-Islamic worship, while recognizing Jordan's special custodial role.[9]

On January 3, 2023, shortly after taking office, Ben-Gvir made an unannounced visit to the Temple Mount and toured the site for approximately 15 minutes.[15][9] Accounts state that he followed the route designated for Jewish visitors, stayed clear of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and did not appear to pray.[15] In a statement afterward, he called the site "the most important place for the Jewish people" and said: "We maintain the freedom of movement for Muslims and Christians, but Jews should also have the freedom to go up to the mountain."[16] Prime Minister Netanyahu responded that claims the status quo had changed were "without foundation."[16]

The visit generated international protest. The United States, European Union, and Britain criticized it, while the United Arab Emirates and China requested a UN Security Council meeting on behalf of the Palestinian and Jordanian missions.[16] Palestinian Islamic Jihad called it "an act of aggression against Islam's third-holiest place," and Jordan and Saudi Arabia also protested.[15][16] A rocket was launched from Gaza later that day, although the cited account did not establish that Ben-Gvir's visit caused the launch.[16]

Ben-Gvir returned repeatedly during his tenure. On May 21, 2023, he visited the site and declared, "We are in charge here" and "We are in charge in Jerusalem and in all of the Land of Israel."[9] He had also called on Jews to visit during Passover while refraining from ritual animal sacrifice there.[9] During Tisha B'Av in July, he joined more than 2,100 Jewish visitors in what was described as his third ministerial visit. He stated: "This place is the most important place for the people of Israel where we need to return and show our governance." Police arrested 16 Jewish visitors and two Palestinians over disturbances at the site.[9]

In an August 2024 Army Radio interview, Ben-Gvir said that Temple Mount policy permits prayer and that there should be no discrimination there. Asked whether he would establish a synagogue at the site if he could, he answered, "Yes, yes, yes," while acknowledging that he could not simply do whatever he wanted at the compound.[17] Hamas characterized the exchange as an announcement of plans to build a synagogue inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but the quoted exchange concerned a hypothetical personal aspiration rather than an announced government policy. Reuters subsequently amended a quotation that had obscured that distinction.[17]

The U.S. Department of State also reported that Ben-Gvir criticized Netanyahu's decision to suspend non-Muslim access to the Temple Mount during the final days of Ramadan, a decision Netanyahu said was unanimously supported by the security establishment.[9]

Ben-Gvir's positions on Gaza and Judea and Samaria have consistently placed him at the hawkish edge of the Israeli cabinet. In August 2026, he said Israel "should kill 30 to 40 people" in Gaza each night, apparently referring to Hamas operatives and other enemies of Israel.[14] The report noted that he lacked authority over the military and could not order such strikes.[14]

In January 2024, he participated in the "Victory for Israel" Conference at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. Organized by the settler organization Nachala, it used the slogan "Only settlements bring security: Returning to Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria."[18] Ben-Gvir said, "we need to go back home because that's the Torah, that's historical justice, and that's what's right." The source presents the statement in the context of speakers invoking Torah to justify returning to Gaza, displacing the Palestinian population, and establishing Jewish settlements there.[18]

Ben-Gvir resigned his ministerial post in January 2025 over the ceasefire and hostage-release agreement with Hamas, which he regarded as an unacceptable concession.[3] In an August 2023 interview, he said: "My right, the right of my wife and my children to move around Judea and Samaria is more important than freedom of movement for the Arabs."[9] The remark drew attention as an explicit statement prioritizing competing movement rights within the territory.

Ben-Gvir's appointment as National Security Minister was challenged in Israel's Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, in petition HCJ 8910/22. The petitioners argued that his criminal history and public statements rendered him unfit to lead the ministry responsible for law enforcement and public order.[4]

The court rejected the petition in February 2024.[4] It held that Ben-Gvir's criminal history and public statements could not be ignored and raised concerns about public trust, particularly because the portfolio oversees law enforcement.[4] Nevertheless, it concluded that the passage of time, deletion of the records, his age when the offenses occurred, the absence of later prosecutions, and his receipt of a law license reduced the weight of the criminal record enough that the appointment was not "extremely unreasonable" under Israeli administrative law.[4]

Separately, the Police Ordinance amendment that Ben-Gvir introduced before formally taking office faced legal challenges, with petitions concerning portions of the amendment pending when the appointment judgment was issued.[2]

In June 2025, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom jointly announced sanctions and other measures targeting Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.[1] The governments alleged that the two ministers had incited violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and condemned rhetoric associated with forced displacement and settlement expansion.[1] The measures constituted coordinated international censure of the two ministers.

Ben-Gvir's public standing within Israel is sharply divided along ideological and religious lines. A Pew Research Center survey conducted from March 3 to April 4, 2024 found that one-third of Israelis viewed him favorably, while 45 percent viewed him very unfavorably.[19] Favorable views were reported by 77 percent of Haredi and Dati Jews, compared with 13 percent of secular Jews. Among Israelis on the ideological right, 58 percent viewed him favorably; the figure was 20 percent or lower in the center and below 10 percent on the left.[19]

His reception among British Jews was substantially more negative. A Jewish Policy Research Institute survey conducted in June and July 2024 among more than 4,500 adult British Jews found that Ben-Gvir had a net approval rating of minus 77 percent, one of the two lowest ratings among the Israeli leaders examined.[20] The survey was conducted after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and during the subsequent war in Gaza, a context the institute said had contributed to increased pessimism about Israel's situation.[20]

Whether Ben-Gvir's stated departure from Kahane's most extreme positions represents genuine ideological change or strategic repositioning remains contested. He has disavowed deporting all Arab citizens and enacting ethnically separate public facilities, yet continues to support policies such as encouraging Arab emigration and emphasizing the primacy of Jewish values in judicial policy.[1][10] The Congressional Research Service reports that he says he has moderated his positions, while the Anti-Defamation League argues that mainstreaming Kahane-inspired leadership challenges Israel's democratic values.[8][5]

Ben-Gvir's conduct during the May 2021 intercommunal riots is also disputed. Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai accused him of intensifying violence by bringing nationalist supporters into flash-point cities, a characterization contested by Ben-Gvir and his allies.[10]

His repeated Temple Mount visits have produced sharply different interpretations. Israeli officials and supporters have described them as legitimate exercises of access rights that do not alter the formal status quo, while Palestinian, Jordanian, Arab, and international actors have characterized them as deliberate provocations.[15][9] Accounts of his January 2023 visit state that he followed the established visitor route, did not enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and did not appear to pray.[15][16] Separate reporting documented corrections to claims that his 2024 comments amounted to an announced government policy to build a synagogue at the site.[17]