EU rejects attendance of Israel’s Ben-Gvir at Europe Day ceremony

By Zain Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – The European Union on Sunday voiced opposition to the attendance of Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in a ceremony organized by the bloc.

The EU delegation informed the Israeli Foreign Ministry that the bloc rejects Ben-Gvir’s presence as the Israeli representative at the Europe Day ceremony in Tel Aviv next Tuesday, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

Citing his far-right and racist political views, many EU officials said they refuse to meet the Israeli minister.

"We don’t support the political views of Minister Ben-Gvir, or his party. For example, many of his past statements and opinions contradict the views the European Union represents," an EU official told Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

Haaretz newspaper quoted a European ambassador to Israel, without giving his name, as saying last week that he prefers not to meet or work with Ben-Gvir or Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich due to their views.

Ben-Gvir's office, meanwhile, said the Israeli minister still plans to attend the Europe Day celebratory event on Tuesday."The minister believes that even if the representatives of the Union ‘do not support his views’… they understand very well that Israel is a democracy and in a democracy it is allowed to hear different opinions," his office said in a statement.

Ben-Gvir holds far-right views on the Palestinians and has called for their displacement. He has repeatedly joined Israeli settlers in storming the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.

In November 2022, Israeli President Isaac Herzog warned in a leaked audio that "the whole world is worried" about Ben-Gvir’s far-right views.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar