Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has openly admitted that his right to move around unimpeded is superior to the freedom of movement for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, sparking outrage.
“My right, the right of my wife and my children to move around Judea and Samaria is more important than freedom of movement for the Arabs,” he said in a Wednesday evening interview with Channel 12 News, using the biblical term for the occupied territory.
Directly addressing journalist Mohammad Magadli, who is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, Ben-Gvir said, “Sorry, Mohammad, but that’s the reality.”
Ben-Gvir, known for being a Palestinian-hating religious far-right provocateur, is in control of Israel’s Border Police’s division in the occupied West Bank. He lives in Kiryat Arba, one of the most radical Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Under international law, settlements in occupied land are considered illegal and a huge obstacle to any notion of a two-state solution.
Ben-Gvir has been convicted several times on charges of supporting a Jewish “terrorist organisation” and of incitement to racism against Arabs and non-Jews. He is also known for his anti-LGBTQ activism.
Approved ~ FS
JW
Article URL : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/24/ben-gvir-says-israeli-rights-trump-palestinian-freedom-of-movement