A sharp policy shift is underway in law enforcement and sovereignty in the Negev and along the seam line. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is presenting dramatic figures on the scale of illegal building demolitions in the Negev, alongside a hardline stance against ‘Palestinian’ infiltrators and dealings with the ‘Palestinian’ Authority.
3+On Negev enforcement, the numbers show a massive gap compared to previous years. While the entire term of the previous change government saw just four homes demolished in the Negev—a figure even Knesset member Mansour Abbas confirmed—in just one year under Ben-Gvir’s tenure, 5,750 illegal homes were demolished.
The national security minister clarified the division of responsibilities on the ground, saying: “He’s right, I work there, I demolish. There are those responsible for building—my job is to demolish.” According to him, the activity in the area is aimed at cracking down on Arab crime and the clans operating in the Negev.
3+Another central issue on the agenda is responsibility for the seam line and the determined fight against ‘Palestinian’ infiltrators entering Israeli territory to carry out attacks. Ben-Gvir rejects attempts to shift responsibility between agencies and clarifies that the seam line is under the joint responsibility of the IDF and the police.
The minister praised police fighters for their activity in the field, saying: Let’s not shift responsibility from one to another. I say this all the time—the seam line belongs to both the IDF and us. The police are operating, and actually operating well lately. I thought about giving compliments—they’re shooting infiltrators and that’s good. There’s a very, very clear policy. Just keep it up.”
3+“Erase the Thing Called the ‘Palestinian’ Authority”
Addressing the ‘Palestinian’ Authority’s ongoing contempt for the Oslo Accords and its open support for terrorism, the minister is taking a hardline and uncompromising position with the prime minister and other cabinet members. Ben-Gvir made clear that this is an entity actively promoting terrorism, and therefore there’s no reason to continue maintaining it.
3+The minister said: Listen, if Bibi asked me—erase them, erase them, erase the thing called the ‘Palestinian’ Authority. They encourage terrorism, they support terrorism, they work for terrorism.” He revealed that he’s the only voice in the cabinet voting against transferring funds to the Authority: “And yes, I’m the only one unfortunately in the cabinet who votes every time against transferring compensation and reimbursement, all kinds of things like that to keep them going. I don’t want to keep them going. I want to erase the thing called the ‘Palestinian’ Authority.” The minister added that the National Security Ministry must remain in the hands of Jewish Power [Otzma Yehudit] in the future as well.