Hijacking meeting of Knesset women’s rights committee, Ben Gvir accuses it of ‘harming police’

By Ariela Karmel

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31 December 2025, 12:01 pm

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Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir storms out of a meeting of the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women and Gender Equality on December 31, 2025. (Screenshot/X)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir accuses the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women and Gender Equality of “harming police officers” without providing evidence, after making a rare and unexpected appearance at a committee meeting on victims of sexual violence.

The far-right minister says that he is attending “for one reason: because you have hurt our representatives.” The charge prompts outrage from the committee members, who demand an explanation.

“I’m giving you a chance — police and [ministry] representatives will attend today, and I’m asking you not to harm them,” he continues, ignoring and speaking over committee members.

Acting committee chair Yesh Atid MK Adi Azuz, an opposition lawmaker, accuses Ben Gvir of derailing the session, asking, “Did you come here to provoke or to help? Forty-six women have been murdered since the beginning of the year.”

“You haven’t done what I’ve done in the last three years,” the minister retorts, declining to elaborate.

There has been a sharp uptick in femicide cases in Israel, with 32 instances recorded this year, in addition to 12 more women murdered in non-femicide-related cases, according to an annual report published last month by the Israel Observatory on Femicide.

Femicide refers to the intentional murder of women or girls because of their gender.

Despite that spike, Ben Gvir has been boycotting opposition-led Knesset committees, including this one, and committee members have accused him of ordering representatives from his ministry and police not to cooperate with the panel.

“Finally, he comes because we’re petitioning the courts over the fact that not only does he refuse to cooperate with the committee or participate, but he prevents representatives from his ministry from doing so,” regular chair Meirav Cohen of Yesh Atid says.

She recently submitted a pre-petition warning to the High Court over Ben Gvir’s “illegal instruction” to Israel Police, Prison Service, and National Security Ministry representatives to boycott committee meetings.