By SCM Foreign Desk
ISRAEL’S President has issued a chilling warning that the country is becoming “desensitized” to extreme violence as a bitter political civil war erupted at the heart of the Jewish state.
In an extraordinary and deeply personal intervention, President Isaac Herzog sounded the alarm over “ugly behavior” being targeted at Israel’s Christian and Muslim minorities by far-right extremists.
The head of state warned that raw hatred is fast “creeping into the mainstream” of Israeli society, threatening to rot the country from the inside out.
But his blockbuster comments immediately sparked a furious backlash from Israel’s controversial National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who launched a stinging counter-attack on the President.
Firesitting right-winger Ben-Gvir accused Herzog of alienating everyday Israelis, raging: “He who calls thousands of citizens of Israel beasts is not worthy of being president!”
The public slanging match exposes the raw, bleeding divisions inside Israel as it grapples with a surge in radicalism.
Speaking out against the growing tide of intolerance, President Herzog said: “We are exposed to ugly behavior against Christians and Muslims by extremists.
”Violence is being normalized by extremists in Israel. It is creeping into the mainstream.”
The shocking war of words highlights the toxic rift between Israel’s traditional political establishment, represented by Herzog, and the ultra-nationalist factions currently holding the levers of power in Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition government.
Ben-Gvir, a hardliner who has previously faced convictions for incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist group, has frequently clashed with moderate voices calling for calm.
Political insiders say the public breakdown in relations between the presidency and the security ministry marks a dangerous new low for national unity.
The Role of the President: In Israel, the President functions as a largely ceremonial head of state meant to serve as a moral compass and a unifying figure above partisan politics. Isaac Herzog’s decision to speak out so bluntly reflects deep institutional panic over the direction of the country.
Who is Itamar Ben-Gvir?: As National Security Minister, Ben-Gvir oversees Israel’s police force. He is a disciple of the late radical rabbi Meir Kahane and has a history of fiery anti-Arab rhetoric.
His inclusion in Netanyahu’s government has been a constant source of friction both internally and with international allies like the US and UK.
The Flashpoint: Tensions have been simmering over an increase in spitting attacks, harassment, and vandalism directed at Christian clergy and Muslim residents in Jerusalem by ultra-nationalist Jewish activists—actions that critics argue have been emboldened by the current far-right government elements.