Far-Right Ben-Gvir to Be Israel’s National Security Minister

Israeli right-wing Knesset member Itamar ben Gvir (L) and Ofir Sofer ( R) during the swearing-in ceremony for the new Israeli parliament the 25th Knesset in Jerusalem, 15 November 2022. (Reuters)
Israeli right-wing Knesset member Itamar ben Gvir (L) and Ofir Sofer ( R) during the swearing-in ceremony for the new Israeli parliament the 25th Knesset in Jerusalem, 15 November 2022. (Reuters)
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Far-Right Ben-Gvir to Be Israel’s National Security Minister

Israeli right-wing Knesset member Itamar ben Gvir (L) and Ofir Sofer ( R) during the swearing-in ceremony for the new Israeli parliament the 25th Knesset in Jerusalem, 15 November 2022. (Reuters)
Israeli right-wing Knesset member Itamar ben Gvir (L) and Ofir Sofer ( R) during the swearing-in ceremony for the new Israeli parliament the 25th Knesset in Jerusalem, 15 November 2022. (Reuters)

Extremist politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has a long record of anti-Arab rhetoric and stunts, will become Israel's next minister of national security, according to the first of what are expected to be several coalition deals struck by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. 

Likud announced the agreement with Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party on Friday. 

Negotiations with three other potential far-right and ultra-Orthodox coalition partners are ongoing. If successful, Netanyahu would return to the prime minister's office and preside over the most right-wing and religious government in Israel's history. 

The awarding of the sensitive role to Ben-Gvir raises concerns of a further escalation in Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Ben-Gvir and his allies hope to grant immunity to Israeli soldiers who shoot at Palestinians, deport rival lawmakers and impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of attacks on Jews. 

Ben-Gvir is the disciple of a racist rabbi, Meir Kahane, who was banned from Parliament and whose Kach party was branded a terrorist group by the United States before he was assassinated in New York in 1990. 

Ahead of Israel's Nov. 1 election, Ben-Gvir grabbed headlines for his anti-Palestinian speeches and stunts, including brandishing a pistol and encouraging police to open fire on Palestinian stone-throwers in a tense Jerusalem neighborhood. 

Before becoming a lawyer and entering politics, he was convicted of offenses that include inciting racism and supporting a terrorist organization. 

In his new role, he would be in charge of the police, among other things, enabling him to implement some of the hard-line policies against the Palestinians he has advocated for years. 

As part of the coalition deal, the current Ministry of Internal Security would be renamed Ministry of National Security and would be given expanded powers, Likud said Friday. 

As head of the ministry, Ben-Gvir would oversee the police and the paramilitary border police who operate alongside Israeli soldiers in Palestinian population centers. 

Likud lawmaker Yariv Levin praised the agreement, which was signed Thursday, as “the first agreement on the way to establishing a stable right-wing government led by Benjamin Netanyahu." 

Ben-Gvir first entered parliament in 2021, after his Jewish Power party merged with the Religious Zionism party. Ben-Gvir's closest political ally, Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich, is conducting separate negotiations with Likud, which emerged as the largest party in the elections. 

Netanyahu has balked at some of the demands, such as Smotrich seeking the defense ministry. Talks currently focus on the terms under which Smotrich would become finance minister. 



Gunfire Breaks up Congo Rebel Leader’s Rally in Bukavu, Residents Say 

A member of the M23 movement stands guard as people board a truck during an enrollment of civilians, police officers, and former members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) who allegedly decided to join the M23 movement voluntarily in Goma on February 23, 2025. (AFP)
A member of the M23 movement stands guard as people board a truck during an enrollment of civilians, police officers, and former members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) who allegedly decided to join the M23 movement voluntarily in Goma on February 23, 2025. (AFP)
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Gunfire Breaks up Congo Rebel Leader’s Rally in Bukavu, Residents Say 

A member of the M23 movement stands guard as people board a truck during an enrollment of civilians, police officers, and former members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) who allegedly decided to join the M23 movement voluntarily in Goma on February 23, 2025. (AFP)
A member of the M23 movement stands guard as people board a truck during an enrollment of civilians, police officers, and former members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) who allegedly decided to join the M23 movement voluntarily in Goma on February 23, 2025. (AFP)

Crowds fled as gunfire rang out at a rally held by the leader of the M23 rebel group, Corneille Nangaa, in Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern city of Bukavu on Thursday, residents said.

There was no immediate information on who was shooting, or whether there were any deaths or injuries at the event organized by the force that has battled Congo's army and seized swathes of territory in the east since the beginning of the year.

Congo, the United Nations and Western powers say neighboring Rwanda is backing the M23 group - accusations Rwanda denies. The rebel advance has stirred fears of a regional war that could draw in Congo's neighbors.

It was Nangaa's first public appearance in eastern Congo's second largest city since his forces seized control of it nearly two weeks ago.

M23 has been trying to demonstrate that it can restore order in the territory it has captured from Congo's army, and has re-opened ports and schools.

This M23 advance is the gravest escalation in more than a decade of the long-running conflict in eastern Congo, rooted in the spillover of Rwanda's 1994 genocide into Congo and the struggle for control of Congo's vast minerals resources.

Rwanda has said it is defending itself against the threat from a Hutu militia, which it says is fighting with the Congolese military.