“When we release terrorists, Jews are murdered”

Israel’s controversial Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir toured the United States last week, aiming to allow American Jews to meet “the real Ben-Gvir, and not the character sold to them by the left-wing media,” as he puts it.

On his first trip to North America, the leader of the national-religious party Otzma Yehudit made full use of the opportunity, visiting Florida, New York, and Connecticut. As we spoke, he was preparing for a stop in Washington, D.C. In addition to visiting various Jewish communities, he was received at Mar-a-Lago by Republican lawmakers, led by GOP House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota. However, his visit grabbed media attention after a confrontation with pro-Palestinian protesters at Yale University. He reportedly cut his tour short and returned to Israel on Tuesday in advance of Yom Hazikaron.

A few hours before he spent Shabbos in the Five Towns, Mishpacha caught up with Ben-Gvir for a brief but wide-ranging conversation. He spoke openly about his admiration for Donald Trump, his frustration with media portrayals, and his willingness to once again leave the Israeli government if future hostage negotiations cross red lines he deems unacceptable.

What was the purpose of your trip to the United States?

The main reason for the trip was for people to get to know me. Many Jews in the United States don’t really know who I am. They’ve just heard my name, and the left-wing media in Israel generally doesn’t tell the full story. I wanted to meet people, to let them see me, hear from me directly. And I must say, the meetings have been spectacular — very successful conversations. I wanted to give people the opportunity to know me, to listen to my story.

Alongside that, I’m also holding meetings with members of Congress, senators, and government officials. I’ve visited some prisons in the United States, and I have to say, we have a lot to be proud of when it comes to our prisons in Israel, especially considering the changes that took place under my watch. I’ve visited several police stations, too. It’s a very important visit.

Your visit made headlines mainly because of the protests against you at Yale University. Can you tell us what happened there?

[Chuckles] It’s funny. They always report the protests but never the thousands of hugs, the overwhelming support I’ve received. They don’t report that when I visited 770 [the Lubavitch headquarters], I was welcomed with a standing ovation. They also don’t tell you that at Yale itself, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach — a truly righteous man — organized an incredible event with over a hundred students, professors, and intellectuals, all of whom expressed how significant that meeting was.

That’s not the story the media wants to tell. They prefer to focus on the few pro-Arab students who threw water bottles. But let me be clear: That won’t make me abandon my truth or change my worldview. They don’t scare me. Actually, I think the students who participated in those demonstrations should be expelled from the university.

That’s why I think what President Trump is doing in this regard is so important, and I also want to credit Yale University — they handled the situation very well. Just hours after the incident, they issued court orders against some of the students involved. I hope they follow through and expel them.

You decided to leave Israel’s governing coalition after the agreement to release hostages, which involved freeing convicted terrorist murderers. I covered the protests against that deal, and many demonstrators blamed Trump for pushing it. What is your view of Trump?

First of all, the anger was not directed at President Trump. The anger was toward Netanyahu — and rightly so. The hostage release deal was completely irresponsible. I had said beforehand that if the government entered into such a deal, I would resign, and unlike many politicians, I kept my word. I believe that releasing terrorist murderers endangers the Jewish people. It sends Hamas the message that they’re winning. It’s a terrible mistake.

But Minister, I was at the protest, and I can tell you that the demonstrators were clearly blaming Trump for pressuring to accept the deal....

You keep on dragging Trump into this! I love President Trump! What does he have to do with the deal? Israel made the agreement to release terrorists. It was our decision — and it was a terrible mistake. That’s why I resigned. Netanyahu realized his mistake and restarted the war effort, and that’s why I rejoined the government. I love President Trump, and that particular error was entirely Israel’s responsibility.

There are many rumors circulating about a possible new deal to release the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Would you leave the government again if another deal involved releasing terrorists?

I don’t know. We have to wait and see what the deal looks like. I have been part of a government that made a deal I disagreed with and stayed, and I have also left a government over a deal. It depends on how serious the agreement is.

What I am sure about is that we need to take a different approach. We need to blow up all Hamas food storage facilities — if our hostages have no food, Hamas should have none. We need to destroy all of Hamas’s energy sources — if our hostages have no electricity, Hamas shouldn’t have it either.

And I also believe we should move forward with Trump’s Gaza plan. It’s a morally correct, appropriate project that I’ve been advocating for over a decade. Back then, people called me crazy. Today, everyone sees it’s the only appropriate path forward.

The plight of the hostages has deeply moved Jews living outside of Israel, many of whom advocate for securing their release at any cost. Were you able to explain your position to American Jews?

The hostages are incredibly important to me as well. They are my brothers and sisters. I have a son who is now serving in a special IDF unit focused on these issues. The hostages are very close to my heart. But I believe it’s a colossal mistake to endanger an entire people.

It’s a simple rule: When we release terrorists, Jews are murdered. We saw this with the Gilad Shalit deal, which ultimately contributed to the events of October 7. We must free the hostages — but not by surrendering or accepting Hamas’s conditions. We must defeat Hamas, force them to their knees, and free our people that way.

And I must say that in most of the communities where I spoke, people understood what I was saying. They agreed with me.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1059)