Israel’s Ben-Gvir visits US for 1st official trip since 2022

JERUSALEM / ANKARA

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived in the US on Monday for his first official visit since he joined the Benjamin Netanyahu government in 2022.

A statement by Ben-Gvir's office said the extremist minister will visit several states and meet representatives of the Jewish community as well as US officials during his trip.

The statement, however, did not specify how long his visit would last.

The former US administration of Joe Biden had boycotted Ben-Gvir over his anti-peace rhetoric, incitement to violence against Palestinians, and his support for settlement building in the occupied territories.

Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had faced a similar boycott under Biden, but he visited Washington in February under the Trump administration.

Ben-Gvir and Smotrich rank among the most extreme figures in Netanyahu’s government, both notorious for their anti-Palestinian rhetoric and public calls to expel Palestinians from their land.

The two ministers have openly encouraged settler violence against Palestinians and their properties in the occupied West Bank, where attacks have escalated dramatically since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.