Israel nods to new National Guard pushed by far-right minister | World News

this israeli government The creation of the National Guard was approved on Sunday, with opponents warning it would act as a “personal militia” for inflammatory National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who pushed for the decision.

A committee of members of the “Israeli security establishment” will propose within 90 days whether the police “or other agencies” will be in charge of the new guards, the prime minister said. benjamin netanyahuoffice said in a statement.

“The National Guard will deal with national emergencies such as riots in Israeli cities with Palestinian militants in May 2021” Gazathe statement added, while noting that the committee will also be asked to define the mandate of the new agency.

A statement from Ben-Gvir’s office said the guard would operate under his department, which would deal with “emergencies, nationalist crime, terror and the strengthening of sovereignty”.

The move was a condition set by the leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, Ben Gewier, agreeing to freeze the government’s controversial judicial reforms after months of protests and a severe general strike on Monday.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid called Sunday’s government decision a “delusional extremist fantasy” and slammed a separate decision to cut budgets from other ministries “to fund Ben-Gvir’s private militia”.

Former Public Safety Minister Omer Bar-Lev, who pushed for the formation of the National Guard in 2022 as part of the Border Police, said the force was already tasked with dealing with the issues Ben-Gvir handed over to the National Guard.

“Shocking to think that a private militia will be staffed by an embarrassing minister who lacks understanding and has been convicted of supporting terrorist groups and inciting racism,” Bar-Lev tweeted about Ben-Gvir.

Earlier on Sunday, Ben-Gvir spoke of the need to use the guards to combat “illegal weapons, organized crime and agrarian terror”, the latter referring to the damage the minister blamed on Arabs for the destruction of fields, produce and farm tools.

In a statement relayed by his office, Ben-Gvir said the force would consist of 1,800 members who would “bring back physical security” to Israelis.

Ben-Gvir was accused of inciting violence or hate speech more than 50 times in his youth. In 2007, he was convicted of supporting a terrorist organization and inciting racism.

Tamir Heyman, director of the Tel Aviv-based National Security Institute, called the idea of ​​a National Guard “positive” but said the government-approved text “would weaken the Israeli police”.

Heyman noted in a tweet that his think tank supports the move “as long as it forms part of the police force and operates under its authority.”