Netanyahu evasive over Ben Gvir’s demand to be police minister

Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu responds evasively to Otzma Yehudit chief Itamar Ben Gvir’s demand that he be public security minister in the next government, if their right-religious bloc secures a majority in Tuesday’s vote.

“Ben Gvir will be a minister only if I form the next government and for this to happen Likud must be bigger than Lapid,” Netanyahu says, without addressing whether he would agree to give the ministry — which oversees police — to the far-right lawmaker.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s National Unity party rips the prospect of Ben Gvir receiving the public security portfolio. It also notes that Ben Gvir’s electoral partner, Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich, has said he would seek the Defense Ministry.

“Ben Gvir demands, Ben Gvir receives. It’s clear to everyone how Netanyahu’s extremist government will look — public security minister Ben Gvir will burn the country from within and Defense Minister Smotrich will burn it from without,” National Unity says in a statement.