National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump was “very naive” in seeking an agreement with Iran, arguing that diplomacy with Tehran was futile.
Speaking at the ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth National Security Conference in partnership with the Institute for National Security Studies, Ben-Gvir described Iran as a “Nazi regime” and said it should be confronted militarily.
“There is no point speaking to them through diplomacy, discussions or negotiations,” he said. “The Iranians must be spoken to through the sights. Trump is a businessman, and he is very naive when it comes to Iran.”
ynet broadcast the conference live.
Responding to claims that his policies cause severe damage to Israel’s international image, Ben-Gvir turned his criticism toward former prime minister Naftali Bennett.
“The person who caused the greatest public diplomacy disaster in the world was Naftali Bennett, who legitimized a Muslim Brotherhood party,” he said, referring to the Islamist Ra’am party that joined Bennett’s coalition.
Gallery
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir during the ynet-INSS conference: Iran is a ‘Nazi regime,’ Trump is naive
(Photo: Yuval Chen)
Ben-Gvir said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not free of mistakes, but argued that Bennett had been the one to turn Ra’am into a legitimate coalition partner.
‘Crush Hamas and encourage migration’
Nearly three years after the October 7 massacre, Hamas has still not been defeated in Gaza.
Ben-Gvir said he remained critical of the government’s handling of the war and noted that he had been the only cabinet member to vote against bringing the Peace Council into Gaza.
“Hamas must be crushed,” he said. “But Netanyahu also did good things. We control 63% of Gaza.”
“I need to be very strong in the elections so that next time I can implement what needs to be done regarding Hamas,” he added. “We killed 40,000 Hamas members. That is not enough. They must be crushed, and migration must be encouraged.”
Ben-Gvir said he envisioned Israeli residential neighborhoods in Gaza for police officers, soldiers and military officers.
“There is no vacuum,” he said. “If we are not there, Hamas will be there. Civilians will also be able to live there.”
He argued that Israel’s withdrawals from territory had created what he described as a terrorist state.
“We received Hamastan and missiles on Ashkelon, Ashdod and Netivot,” he said.
October 7 responsibility
Asked how he would have responded had the October 7 massacre occurred under the previous government, Ben-Gvir acknowledged that the current government bore responsibility.
“There is no doubt our government has responsibility,” he said.
'Trump is a businessman, and he is very naive when it comes to Iran'
(Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
He nevertheless argued that the police under his authority had performed well and claimed that his earlier calls for targeted killings in Gaza might have prevented the attack.
“Imagine if they had listened to what I said then,” he said. “October 7 might have been prevented.”
Ben-Gvir said he supported establishing a commission of inquiry, but insisted that its mandate should include judges who had supported the Gaza disengagement.
“Everyone failed,” he said.
Barghouti and the Arab parties
Ben-Gvir also addressed a Prison Service report alleging that imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti was attempting to influence Israel’s elections.
According to Ben-Gvir, Barghouti had used his lawyers to contact Arab political parties and urge them to unite.
“He tells them, ‘Unite, because only that way can we stop this and restore prison conditions to what they were before,’” Ben-Gvir claimed.
“He is looking after himself and all the terrorists in prison,” he said. “They want to remove me from office. They long for the days when they had chocolates, marmalade and academic studies.”
Ben-Gvir said the information was verified, but did not answer whether Barghouti’s conversations with his lawyers had been monitored.
‘A Nazi regime’
Returning to Iran, Ben-Gvir praised Netanyahu’s actions but said more needed to be done.
“I want to give Netanyahu credit, because he achieved many good things in Iran,” he said. “My position is very clear, and I also state it in the small security cabinet.”
“This is ultimately a Nazi regime,” he added. “This regime wants to kill my children and yours. We cannot accept the continued existence of a Nazi regime.”
“I know things are being done, and much more must be done,” he said. “I hope Trump will be persuaded to stop being naive.”
West Bank violence
Despite a series of attacks in the West Bank over the previous weekend, Ben-Gvir said the security situation there was not deteriorating.
“There is no question of the situation getting worse,” he said.
He called for soldiers to receive more permissive rules of engagement.
“If stones are thrown at you, shoot,” he said. “If firebombs are thrown at you, shoot.”
Ben-Gvir argued that his security doctrine had proved itself.
“Give more weapons, more pistols, more rifles and more civilian security squads, and the attacks will decline,” he said.
Asked about Jewish terrorism, Ben-Gvir acknowledged that some individuals crossed the line and should be dealt with, but rejected what he described as a false equivalence.
“Who murders? Who carries out the attacks? Who throws the firebombs? Who makes the bombs? Who tries to shoot people?” he said. “You cannot constantly turn the victim into the accused.”
Death penalty
Ben-Gvir expressed confidence that legislation passed by his party allowing the death penalty for terrorists would ultimately be implemented.
He said a special death-row wing was already being built by the Israel Prison Service and claimed the measure had deterrent value.
Asked whether he would personally carry out the execution of a convicted terrorist, Ben-Gvir said he would be willing to do so.
“I would be very happy to carry out a death sentence against a terrorist,” he said.
He added that he believed the first execution should be performed by former hostages or relatives of murder victims.
“My dream is that someone whose family member was murdered or abducted by terrorists will execute them,” he said. “People are lining up to do it.”