From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 26, 2024
Ben Gvir’s bodyguards say minister’s drivers still breaking traffic laws at his instruction – report
Security guards for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir say that his drivers are breaking traffic laws under his instruction, even after a man was injured last month when the minister’s car ran a red light, Haaretz reports.
The guards reportedly said that even if there was no operational need to do so, the drivers drive at excessive speed, run red lights at intersections, and drive on the hard shoulder of the road.
The report says the bodyguards warned their superiors that the practice is dangerous for the minister, other road users and pedestrians.
The drivers answer to the minister, who is himself in charge of policing. The report says the far-right minister’s office did not respond when asked for comment.
Last week, the driver whose vehicle was hit by Ben Gvir’s car last month said that his life has been ruined by the accident, as he undergoes recovery.
Idan Domatov, who works as a barber, has been unable to work since the accident. He suffered a severe injury to his knee and is not yet mobile.
The accident occurred in Ramle at the end of April after Ben Gvir had visited the scene of a terror attack in the city. As his car was leaving the scene, Ben Gvir’s driver ran a red light, hitting Domatov’s car which had entered the junction on a green light.
Speaking to Army Radio last week, Ben Gvir maintained that his driver was not responsible for the accident.
Ben Gvir has a long history of traffic offenses and has been repeatedly slammed for filming himself in transit as a minister while not wearing a seatbelt. Reports last year revealed that Ben Gvir has close to 80 traffic infractions on his record from being caught speeding, using his phone while driving, driving without a seatbelt and speeding, among a list of other infractions.
