Israel: “I grew up, I became more moderate” declares the far-right leader, but not a word about the Palestinians

The extreme right Itamar Ben-Gvirwho is set to take on a key ministry in Israel’s new government, sought today to reassure the country’s minorities that he would protect their rights, without mentioning the Palestinians most threatened by his rise to power.

After Likud’s victory in last week’s election, Benjamin Netanyahu is relying on cooperation with other parties to form a government, with the far-right Religious Zionist party, which is led by ultra-nationalist Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, to have emerges as his most important ally.

Ben Gvir’s president has come under scrutiny both in Israel and abroad for his past actions, such as his involvement in the far-right Kah group, which was outlawed after its supporter killed 29 Palestinians, his conviction for his incitement of hatred against Arabs and his attacks on Pride parades.

“I grew up, became more moderate and I realized that life is more complicated,” states the 46-year-old Ben-Gvir in an article published on the front page of the Israel Hayom newspaper.

The article was published a day after Religious Zionism co-chairman Bezalel Smotrich sparked a backlash from the center-right after he said the state played a role in the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jew determined to stop land grants to Palestinians.

In his article entitled “A letter to my brothers on the left” Ben-Gvir not mentioned in the conversations between Israel and the Palestinians, under the auspices of the US, which came to a standstill in 1994 and which the administration of US President Joe Biden announced on Saturday that it wants to revive.

“Religious Zionism”, like other Israeli parties, is opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state. Ben-Gvir has also called for the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, which would effectively mean that the Palestinians would be ruled by Israel.

Ben-Gvir, who wants to be Secretary of Homeland Security, writes in his op-ed that he will tackle crime among Israel’s Arabs.

Claiming that he “agrees on 90% of the issues” with liberals, he assures that he will not seek to impose religious law or restrict the freedoms of those who disagree with his politics, “and, despite the fact that I’m not a fan of Gay Pride, I will ensure maximum protection for the men and women involved.”

RES-EMP

Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.