Itamar Ben-Gvir Faces Global Backlash Over Calls to Burn Lebanon

In a widely criticized social media post, the far-right cabinet member rejected diplomatic efforts, declaring that Israel should seek a thousand Lebanese casualties for every Israeli death. He explicitly challenged the Trump administration’s push for a ceasefire, asserting that Israel must prioritize its own security over international pressure to negotiate an end to the ongoing hostilities.

Public figures and foreign officials immediately condemned the rhetoric. Journalist Yashar Ali described the minister as a threat to Israeli and Jewish security, suggesting he belongs in a psychiatric facility rather than a government office. Former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf echoed this sentiment, arguing that the statement confirms genocidal intent and warrants a criminal trial at the Hague. Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute observed that such language forces a difficult question for Western allies: how to maintain regional security when a cabinet-level official publicly advocates for mass destruction. British journalist Owen Jones noted that if such comments originated from any other official, they would be universally identified as echoing Nazi-era rhetoric.