Gulf Futures

Israeli Extremists Are In Government. But You Don’t See Them!

Dr Hichem Karoui

Europeans, Americans, and even Arabs pretend they are fighting extremism everywhere on the planet.  They mean exactly Muslim extremists. However, the Israeli extremists who massacred over 42000 Palestinians and continue their rampage, threatening to put fire in all of the Middle East, are not included in the hypocritical global fight against extremism. Why? The answer is obvious: they are not Muslims, but Jews and the Jews control those who fight extremism – i.e., Islam – in the world.

If you are really honest, here’s the menu. Start by fighting those incendiary extremists, and we will support you in the broader fight against extremism.

There are several far-right groups and parties in Israel’s political landscape. Here’s an overview of the main far-right entities and their leaders:

Major Far-Right Parties in Government

### Likud
– Leader: Benjamin Netanyahu
– Seats in Knesset: 32
– Ideology: Right-wing, nationalist

Likud is the largest right-wing party in Israel. While not considered extreme by all, it has adopted increasingly hardline positions, including endorsing the annexation of the West Bank and opposing the creation of a Palestinian state under any conditions.

### Religious Zionism
– Leader: Bezalel Smotrich (also Finance Minister)
– Seats in Knesset: 7
– Ideology: Far-right, religious Zionist

Religious Zionism advocates for changing anti-discrimination laws to exclude LGBTQ+ individuals and calls for the expulsion of Palestinians in the West Bank who don’t give up aspirations of nationhood.

### Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power)
– Leader: Itamar Ben-Gvir (also National Security Minister)
– Seats in Knesset: 6
– Ideology: Far-right, Kahanist, ultranationalist

Otzma Yehudit calls for the annexation of the occupied West Bank and the expulsion of all Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories.

### Noam
– Leader: Avi Maoz
– Seats in Knesset: 1
– Ideology: Ultra-Orthodox, anti-liberal

Noam is focused on advancing policies against LGBTQ+ rights and what they call “the destruction of the family”.

## Other Far-Right Entities

### Shas
– Leader: Aryeh Deri
– Seats in Knesset: 11
– Ideology: Ultra-Orthodox, right-wing

While primarily focused on religious issues, Shas has taken extreme positions on the Palestinian conflict.

### United Torah Judaism
– Leader: Moshe Gafni
– Seats in Knesset: 7
– Ideology: Ultra-Orthodox

Primarily focused on religious issues but aligns with right-wing policies.

### Lehava
– Leader: Benzi Gopstein
– Not represented in Knesset
– Ideology: Far-right, anti-miscegenation

Lehava is one of the largest far-right organizations in Israel, advocating for segregation and oppression of Palestinians. It has been involved in violence against Palestinians, LGBTQ+ individuals, and Christians[2].

## Far-Right Youth Movements

### Hilltop Youth
Not a formal organization but a loosely affiliated group of young far-right settlers known for establishing unauthorized outposts in the West Bank.

It’s important to note that the current government, formed in December 2022, is often described as the most right-wing in Israel’s history, with several far-right parties holding significant positions of power.