Ben Gvir defends Otzma Yehudit MK who was dismissed from IDF over photo with graffiti in Lebanon home

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir comes to the defense of a lawmaker from his far-right Otzma Yehudit party who was dismissed from the IDF reserves after a photo circulated showing him posing with Hebrew graffiti in a home in southern Lebanon.

“MK Kreuzer, you are the pride of Otzma Yehudit, and you are the pride of the people of Israel,” Ben Gvir writes on X.

“Thank you for the dozens of reserve days you volunteered in the last year. Shame on the IDF command who fired you because of the publication of this photo.”

The photo, which was disseminated on social media yesterday, shows MK Yitzhak Kroizer surrounded by soldiers from his unit with “Office of MK Kroizer” spray-painted on one of the walls behind them.

Kroizer also posts on X, confirming his dismissal from the IDF and blaming the Haaretz daily newspaper for investigating the photo.

“I’ve had the privilege of fighting for you during over 100 days of reserve duty over the past year. I’ll continue to fight for you in the Knesset together with my friends from the Otzma Yehudit faction,” the MK vows.