Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz yesterday criticized an agreement negotiated between the Likud party and Otzma Yehudit, according to which the post of Minister of National Security will be given to Itamar Ben Gvir. He said this during a conference of the Israeli Institute of Democracy, Jewish Channel 12 reports.
Gantz said the decision to appoint Ben-Gvir to the Ministry of National Security is “a decision that stems from a desire to ‘form a militia’ for the head of Otzma Yehudit.”
He added: “Mistakes are being made in coalition negotiations that will result in great security damage that can, God forbid, harm human life, which is a sure recipe for damaging the state and the chain of command.”
Gantz continued, “One of the demands is to transfer ownership of the border police to the minister of national security, and this stems from the desire to create the Ben Gvir militia.”
One of the most important powers that Ben-Gvir will have in his ministry is control over the Judea and Samaria Division border police force stationed in the West Bank, which is subordinate to the Israeli army.
