The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group threatened the life of far-right Otzma Yehudite leader Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday, vowing to “crush” the Gaza-based militant group.
A spokesman for Islamic Jihad’s West Bank division warned that Ben Gvir’s “fate will be the same as that of Rehavum Z’evi, a proponent of Islam. [population] transfer.
Ze’evi, who advocated the resettlement of Arabs from Israel and the West Bank, was assassinated by Palestinian terrorists in 2001 while serving as tourism minister.
Otzma Yehudit chief is a disciple of the late extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane, who similarly advocated a forced relocation policy, although Ben Gvir has recently distanced himself from that position and now says he only accepts “unreliable” Arabs. want out.
Islamic Jihad’s statement also referred to the expected appointment of Ben Gvir as the next police minister, warning that it would “accelerate his death.”
In response, Ben Gvir said that “Threats from terrorist organizations will not deter me. We are committed to restoring Israel’s security.”
He called for the immediate establishment of a right-wing government so that “we can crush Islamic Jihad.”
Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben Gvir speaks during a faction meeting in the Knesset on November 28, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
Ben Gvir has faced several death threats over the past year, with the Shin Bet security service announcing in May that it had foiled a plot by the Hamas terrorist group to assassinate him.
Otzma Yehudit is part of the right-wing faction led by potential prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been working to form a coalition since his Likud party and affiliated factions won a majority of Knesset seats in the November 1 election. did.
