Islamic Jihad Threatens Ben-Gvir With Same Fate as Slain Former Minister

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank threatened on Monday that "[Otzma Yehudit head Itamar] Ben-Gvir will suffer the same fate as Rehavam Zeevi," referring to a former minister that was killed by Palestinian militants over twenty years ago.

Former general and cabinet minister Rehavam 'Gandhi' Zeevi was assassinated in 2001 in a hotel in Jerusalem by assailants from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Islamic Jihad Spokesman Tarek Ezz El-Din said that Zeevi "carried the ideology of a transfer and expulsion of the Arabs from the land of Palestine and as a result he was expelled from life by Palestinians."

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El-Din addressed the apparent appointment of Ben-Gvir as Minister of National Security and said that it "will only hasten the disappearance of the occupation."

Ben-Gvir said in response that "the threats of the Islamic Jihad terrorist group will not deter me. We are committed to restoring security to Israel's citizens. The time has come to form a fully right-wing government, so that we can crush the Islamic Jihad."

Eight East Jerusalem residents were detained in April on accusations of plotting to kill Ben-Gvir and launch attacks against Israelis. Several were indicted in connection to terrorist acts of aggravated murder and a series of other offenses.