‘If Trump was in office, things would be different,’ says Itamar Ben-Gvir.
By World Israel News Staff
A senior Israeli government minister excoriated President Joe Biden, and appeared to hint at support for former President Donald Trump in this year’s upcoming presidential election.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s National Security Minister, spoke with The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Sunday, lamenting the Biden administration’s handling of the war with Hamas, arguing that the White House has hampered Israel’s war effort.
“Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel [to Gaza], which goes to Hamas,” Ben-Gvir said.
“If Trump was in power, the U.S. conduct would be completely different.”
Ben-Gvir, 47, a resident of the Giva’at Ha’Avot neighborhood which straddles the boundary between Kiryat Arba and Hebron, was for decades an open supporter of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, founder of the Jewish Defense League and MK for the Kach party, which advocated for the transfer of Arabs out of Israel.
In his interview with The Wall Street Journal, Ben-Gvir reiterated his call for a program to encourage voluntary mass emigration of Gazans out of the Gaza Strip.
Israel should, he argued, “encourage Gazans to voluntarily emigrate to places around the world.”
Citing talks with Palestinian Arabs in Judea and Samaria and intelligence material collected by his ministry, Ben-Gvir argued that a significant number of Palestinians would avail themselves of such an option of it were financed by Israel. He also called for a global conference to find host countries willing to take in Gaza migrants.
The Biden administration has repeatedly decried such plans proposed both by Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Shortly after the report’s publication, Ben-Gvir came under fire from left-wing Israeli lawmakers, including fellow members of the Netanyahu government.
“The Prime Minister should call to order the Minister for National Security, who instead of dealing with internal security issues, is causing tremendous damage to Israel’s foreign relations,” tweeted Minister Benny Gantz, leader of the center-left National Camp, which joined the government after the October 7th invasion.
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