Israeli politics is shifting further to the right. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir just laid his cards on the table. He announced that his Otzma Yehudit party will demand the defense minister post in the next government. Ahead of next month's elections, this power play isn't just about shuffling cabinet seats. It signals a massive escalation in how Israel's far-right factions intend to run military strategy, security policy, and regional planning.
If you are watching Israeli coalition politics, you know that Ben Gvir rarely makes idle threats. He currently serves as the minister of national security, a role where he has expanded civilian gun licensing and clashed repeatedly with police leadership and international critics. But the national security portfolio has limits. The true heavyweight office controlling the Israel Defense Forces, military doctrine, and operations in both Gaza and the West Bank is the Ministry of Defense. Grabbing that post gives his faction direct control over the operational machinery of the state.
The Campaign Launch in Jerusalem
Speaking at a campaign event in Jerusalem, Ben Gvir didn't mince words about what he plans to do with that power. Alongside his demand for the defense portfolio, he announced that MK Tally Gotliv—who recently left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party—would be slotted into the second spot on his party's list with the goal of securing the justice ministry.
This alliance is strategic. By pulling Gotliv into his camp, Ben Gvir is trying to consolidate hardline nationalist support away from traditional mainstream right-wing parties. He framed his push for the defense ministry around aggressive policy shifts that have long lived on the fringe of Israeli politics but are rapidly creeping into the mainstream.
Chief among his demands is what he terms the "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, alongside the re-establishment of Jewish settlements inside Gaza and even proposals touching parts of southern Lebanon. Critics and international observers call these policies a blueprint for forced displacement and ethnic cleansing. Meanwhile, elements of the Israeli public—hardened by years of conflict and the trauma of the October 7 attacks—are increasingly sympathetic to these drastic territorial propositions.
Why the Defense Ministry Changes Everything
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has built his political survival on balancing right-wing coalition partners while managing intense pressure from Washington and other Western allies. Handing the defense portfolio to Ben Gvir would remove the traditional institutional buffer between the military brass and far-right ideology.
Historically, the defense minister acts as a check on political extremism within the cabinet, working closely with the chief of staff and military commanders. Ben Gvir has repeatedly criticized military leadership for being too restrained. He wants a complete overhaul of engagement rules, a permanent rejection of ceasefires that leave Hamas intact, and an aggressive stance on territorial expansion.
When you look at his "Disengagement 710" plan, which outlines mass population transfers over a seven-year period, his bid for the defense ministry makes complete sense to his base. He needs the administrative and military authority to turn fringe ideological goals into actual state policy.
The Stakes for Next Month's Elections
The upcoming October elections carry immense weight. Polls show that right-wing and nationalist voters are deeply fractured, yet figures like Ben Gvir are betting that a hardline security platform will rally disaffected voters who feel current policies do not go far enough.
Netanyahu finds himself in a tight corner. Refusing Ben Gvir's demands could blow up his coalition, while accepting them risks fracturing Israel's relations with key international partners who view these proposals as red lines.
The political math is brutal. Ben Gvir knows he holds leverage, and he is cashing it in now. Expect the rhetoric to heat up daily as candidates battle over who can promise the most uncompromising security posture. Watch the polling numbers closely over the next three weeks because the outcome will redefine the Middle East for a generation.
