Israel said planning to send Ben Gvir to annual EU bash, raising envoys’ ire

The government reportedly plans to send far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir as its representative to an annual meeting with European Union diplomats next week, despite most countries avoiding contact with the ultra-nationalist lawmaker.

Ben Gvir, who leads the Otzma Yehudit party, has been the focus of intense criticism at home and abroad over provocative actions and statements against Palestinians, Israeli Arabs, leftists and the international community. These include controversial visit to the flashpoint Temple Mount site in Jerusalem in January, and the planned demolition of an apartment building home to 100 East Jerusalem Palestinians.

The government’s pick of Ben Gvir to attend the Europe Day event on May 9 was widely reported in Hebrew media Thursday.

The government has yet to officially inform the European Union embassy of its choice, but an EU official told the Kan public broadcaster that the union has requested that a more respectful choice be made.

“We don’t support the political views of Minister Ben Gvir, or his party. For example, many of his past statements and opinions contradict the views the European Union represents,” the official said.

Europe Day is a celebration of peace and unity in Europe on the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration in 1950, which proposed pooling French and West German coal and steel production. The cooperative body between West Germany and France would eventually grow and expand to become the European Union.

An ambassador to Israel from an unnamed EU state told the Haaretz daily on Thursday he preferred not to meet or work with Ben Gvir or Religious Zionism chair Bezalel Smotrich due to their views.

Other foreign administrations have also attempted to tip-toe around the more hardline members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, while still working with relative moderates.

The source told Haaretz that since the establishment of Netanyahu’s government, the EU has hesitated to send invitations to its events, since they are customarily open to all lawmakers.

Ben Gvir’s office offered no comment on the reports.

Ben Gvir, a disciple of anti-Arab Rabbi Meir Kahane, is seen as the most extreme member of Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious coalition. A longtime fixture on the far-right fringes of society who was convicted on terror offenses, he has ridden a wave of right-wing discontent into power over the last several years.

Going into last year’s elections, Ben Gvir campaigned on hardline policies such as enacting the death penalty for terrorists, expelling “disloyal” Arab Israeli citizens, and changing the rules of engagement for Israeli security forces to allow them to more easily shoot-to-kill Palestinian suspects.