Ben-Gvir’s despicable taunting of detainees is not just to rile his base – he wants to isolate Israel and win votes
It is all very well that Netanyahu is criticising his actions but if it wasn’t for the prime minister, the far-right politician would be no more than a racist street thug representing a fringe party…
Assessment
The piece argues that Ben-Gvir's provocative behavior toward detainees serves a calculated political strategy beyond base-pleasing: it aims to isolate Israel internationally to rally nationalist voters. The author suggests Netanyahu's criticism rings hollow because his coalition enabled Ben-Gvir's rise from fringe figure to influential minister. The real question is whether this dynamic will fracture the government or strengthen the far-right's grip.