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. 



Kremlin Says Russia and US Are Preparing More Talks 

A woman walks next to Russian flags placed in front of the Kremlin on a clear sunny day in Moscow, Russia, 25 February 2025. (EPA)
A woman walks next to Russian flags placed in front of the Kremlin on a clear sunny day in Moscow, Russia, 25 February 2025. (EPA)
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Kremlin Says Russia and US Are Preparing More Talks 

A woman walks next to Russian flags placed in front of the Kremlin on a clear sunny day in Moscow, Russia, 25 February 2025. (EPA)
A woman walks next to Russian flags placed in front of the Kremlin on a clear sunny day in Moscow, Russia, 25 February 2025. (EPA)

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that preparations were being made for expert-level talks between Russia and the United States to follow up on a high-level meeting last week and an earlier call between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that there was an understanding that Trump and Putin should meet in person after thorough preparation, but said there were no details yet on when and where this would happen.

He said the two leaders could speak again by phone if needed, but there were no current plans for this.

"Contacts are being prepared at the expert level through the ministries of foreign affairs," Peskov said, without providing any further details.

Trump has expressed a desire to bring about a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war as soon as possible. His rapid moves to repair relations with Moscow, reversing the policy of the previous administration of Joe Biden, have raised fears in Kyiv and among its European allies that they could be sidelined.

Putin this week tempered expectations for a quick deal on Ukraine, saying that US-Russia contacts would initially focus on repairing trust between Moscow and Washington.

Peskov declined to comment on a reported minerals agreement between the US and Ukraine that Trump has said would allow the US taxpayer to recoup money that Washington has provided to Ukraine in the course of the war.

The Kremlin spokesman noted reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would visit Trump on Friday.

"Whether it will be (to sign) the aforementioned agreement or something else, we'll see. There have been no official statements on this matter yet," he said.

A source familiar with the contents of the draft agreement told Reuters on Tuesday that it does not specify any US security guarantees or continued flow of weapons, but says that the United States wants Ukraine to be “free, sovereign and secure.”