Netanyahu: Ben Gvir to head new team combating Palestinian incitement

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a special panel will be formed to combat Palestinian incitement that encourages the murder of Israelis, headed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has himself been convicted in the past of incitement against Arabs.

At the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu says the new team will include investigators, police officers and prosecutors, in coordination with the Justice Ministry, with representatives from the Shin Bet security agency, the Israel Defense Forces and the National Cyber Directorate.

Some news outlets initially misreport Netanyahu’s comments as referring to a different panel — whose formation was announced last night by the Israel Police — aimed at taking action against online incitement against government leaders by Israeli critics of the plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary.

Netanyahu subsequently tweets a clarification that the panel headed by Ben Gvir will aim to counter “Palestinian incitement against Israeli citizens.”