Israeli government approves creation of 'National Guard'

The Israeli government has approved the creation of a national guard for far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the budget for the move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Sunday that the powers of the new force would be determined by a committee made up of all security agencies. It will submit its recommendations to the government within 90 days as to whether the police "or some other body" should be responsible for the unit.

According to Netanyahu's office, the National Guard will "deal with national emergencies such as the unrest in Israeli cities during the conflict with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip in May 2021."

An independent statement from Ben Gvir's office said the National Guard, which reports to his ministry, will deal with "emergency scenarios, nationalist crime, terror and the strengthening of sovereignty". Accordingly, the force will consist of 1,800 members and is intended to "give the Israelis back their personal security".

The head of the party "Jewish Force" had made the establishment of a national guard under his responsibility a condition of his remaining in office after Netanyahu suspended the controversial judicial reform of his right-wing religious government after months of massive protests. The establishment of such a unit is seen as a concession to Ben Gvir, who vehemently opposed the postponement of the legislative process.

Opposition leader Jair Lapid has now described the government decision as an "extremist fantasy of delusions". He also criticized the financing of "Ben Gvir's private militia" at the expense of other ministries.

Former Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev, who pushed for the formation of a National Guard in 2022 as part of the Border Police, said it was already the responsibility of that force to deal with the problems Ben Gvir was facing entrusted to the National Guard.

The thought of "a private militia being set up by an embarrassing minister who lacks understanding and has been convicted of supporting a terrorist group and inciting racism is shocking," Bar-Lev tweeted about Ben-Gvir.

Ben Gvir faced more than 50 charges of inciting violence or hate speech during his youth. In 2007 he was convicted of supporting a terrorist group and inciting racism. The director of the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies, Tamir Hayman, while calling the idea of ​​forming a national guard "positive", said the text approved by the government weakens "the Israeli police force".