Ben-Gvir calls out Netanyahu over political snubs
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
Tensions within ‘Israel's’ ruling coalition have surfaced after National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released a video addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly.
In the message, Ben-Gvir reproached the Prime Minister, accusing Netanyahu's office of attempting to sideline him ahead of upcoming national elections and insisting that his party has remained steadfastly loyal despite internal political pressure.
"You know that even when there were temptations, and when proposals were presented to us to stage a coup against you, we - unlike other members of Likud - were the ones who prevented this from happening," Ben-Gvir stated in the video.
"I do not deserve to have your office brief various foreign countries and inform them that they do not want Ben-Gvir in the government. I do not deserve to have your office announce that [Gadi] Eisenkot will be your next partner and not Itamar. I do not deserve to have you boycott taking photos with me, refrain from sharing platforms with me, and try to evade me as much as possible. Mr. Prime Minister, I love you, but I want a fully right-wing government."
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The public tension comes as ‘Israel’ prepares for a national election scheduled for October 27, which is the first since October 7, 2023.
While the parliament voted to disband earlier in the year, raising expectations of an early vote, coalition head Ofir Katz confirmed that the election will proceed on its legally mandated October date.
With polls suggesting the current nationalist-religious coalition could face significant losses amid public dissatisfaction over the aftermath of recent wars, the approaching ballot date has intensified internal coalition friction, driving right-wing allies like Ben-Gvir to defend their standing within the government.
