Written by Sarit Zehavi, Alma Research & Education Center

Jan 4^th 2022

With  friendly permisson of the author

This week, the new Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir ascended the Temple Mount. In recent months, it seems that Itamar Ben Gvir has become a rock star. Not only in Israel but also in the world, everyone is talking about Ben Gvir as if he is dictating the policy of the new Israeli government instead of the new (and old) Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Since I did not vote for him and I do not agree with his views, I thought it appropriate to clarify some issues regarding the new minister.

I’ll start with what happened yesterday. Itamar Ben Gvir visited the Temple Mount and later clarified that it is wrong to convey the message that Hamas controls the Temple Mount and that Jews can go up to the Temple Mount like Muslims and Christians. It is important for me to emphasize, according to the status quo (which is not a written agreement) Jews can go up to the Temple Mount but not pray there, certainly not in an organized way. Over the years, the hours of entry for Jews have been limited, certainly more limited than for Muslims. At the entrance from the Mughrabi gate designated for non-Muslims, every Jew will receive a briefing from a policeman who will make sure that he does not enter with Jewish symbols and that he does not intend to hold religious ceremonies there. He will also undergo a security check. At the entrance for Muslims, border guard officers are stationed, but there are no metal detectors.

In recent years, the police have allowed prayers inside places in the complex in a limited and very modest way. It is also important to note that many Rabbis oppose entering the Temple Mount for religious reasons. 

The ascent of Itamar Ben Gvir can perhaps be registered as a provocation but not as a violation of the status quo. Itamar Ben Gvir has a long history of provocations. He was also previously convicted of supporting terrorism, rioting, inciting racism, and obstructing a police officer. I was surprised when the Supreme Court approved him to run for the Knesset and once such approval was given it was difficult to stop his appointment as a minister.

The bottom line is that his ascension to the Temple Mount was short and low-profile, different from his visits before and different from previous cases of other Israeli politicians visiting. Is it possible that there is a hint here that Itamar Ben Gvir as a minister wants to convey responsibility and moderation, in contrast to his problematic past? We will only know for certain later on.

From here on, I want to deal with the question, how did it happen that Itamar Ben Gvir’s party received so many votes? Are the Israelis really that extreme? Many of the votes were from younger voters. What does this indicate about the future here?

I want to turn for a moment to our American readers. Without dealing with the question of whether you are one of President Trump’s supporters or his opponents, you will all be able to explain how he won the support of many Americans. What are the internal processes in American society that led to this?

Similarly, it is possible to explain what happened in Israel that brought Itamar Ben Gvir so many votes. The younger generation is less familiar with his troubled past. Even fewer are familiar with the rift in Israeli society surrounding Rabin’s murder in 1995. What the younger generation recognizes is that there is a significant increase in crime, especially in the Arab sector, the return of terrorism to Israeli cities in the months before the elections, daily terrorism against the settlers in the West Bank (not only throwing stones and Molotov cocktails but also firing a live weapon).

The bottom line is in the months before the elections, the feeling of the lack of governance and a violation of personal security grew stronger within Israel. In the Negev, the southern region of the State of Israel and about 50% of the territory of Israel, this feeling is the strongest. There, the use of firearms, dangerous traffic offenses, illegal construction, and polygamous marriages are commonplace among the Bedouin population of about 300,000 people in that region.

Added to all of this is the main breaking point – The May 2021 riots in which Arabs took to the streets in the mixed cities and blocked main roads throughout the State of Israel. Shops, synagogues, businesses, and cars belonging to Jews were burned and many were beaten in the streets. For several days it was dangerous to leave the house in very large areas of the country.

To all of this can be added the fact that rioters who were arrested were later released by the courts, Arab members of the Knesset demonstrated in support of the release of the rioters, and the general feeling is that the number of indictments, convictions, and punishments for the May 2021 riots does not match the scale of the disturbances.

Itamar Ben Gvir won many votes because he promised to take care of these problems. He did this at the same time as making many statements that contradicted racist views he had expressed in the past. Has he really changed? We don’t know for sure, but at the very least all this could explain why he won support in the last election.

Kategorien:Israel, Politik