Dr. Jamal Zahalka: Extremism and racism in Israel are not marginal phenomena, but rather a central trend and official policies
 Dr. Muhammad Halsa: Security and financial powers are in the hands of the nationalist right, led by Ben Gvir and Smotrich, with Netanyahu’s approval
 Ismail Muslimani: The bill to execute prisoners in response to operations was submitted to the Knesset and has not yet been discussed
 Wadih Abu Nassar: Ben Gvir now represents a party with a moderate position and may obtain 12 to 13 seats in the elections
 Ratiba al-Natsheh: Ben Gvir is the one who gave the green light for field executions and rewarded everyone who killed a Palestinian and refused to hold him accountable
 Hassan Abd Rabbo: Harsh decisions were issued against prisoners after October 7, including torture, starvation, and deprivation of their rights.

The extremist Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, exploited the shooting near the town of Tarqumiya in the Hebron Governorate to unleash his racism, fascism and criminality, calling for the imposition of collective punishment on citizens in the West Bank, the deployment of more military checkpoints in the West Bank and the cessation of Palestinian movement in its streets.

He also called for killing detainees in the occupation prisons by shooting them in the head, and enacting the death penalty law against them, not releasing them.

The world hears such fascist statements without moving a finger, while it - the world - has left the people of the Gaza Strip for eleven months, exposed to massacres, bombing, destruction, starvation and genocide, without standing up for its humanity, or even for the laws it has established, as long as the perpetrator is Israel, supported by the United States and the colonial Western countries, which has given free rein to the hand of the occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his gang from the right and the other side to proceed with their crimes against humanity, without caring about the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court or their decisions.

Ben Gvir's positions are no longer just individual opinions
Dr. Jamal Zahalka, a former member of the Knesset and lecturer at the Arab American University in Jenin and Ramallah, said: Extremism and racism in Israel are no longer marginal phenomena, but have become a central trend and official policies adopted by the Israeli government.

Zahalka pointed out that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relies heavily on the support of far-right figures, such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to pass decisions within the government and the Knesset, and responds to many of his extremist demands, such as establishing a national guard to punish the Palestinians of the interior and our people in Jerusalem.

Zahalka explained that many of the extremist statements and ideas expressed by Ben Gvir are no longer just individual opinions, but have become part of official policy in Israel, and are generally consistent with the sharp drift to the right and push towards more extremism.

He pointed out that Ben Gvir is no longer a marginal figure, but rather a minister responsible for the police and the distribution of weapons in Israel, which makes him a real danger to the Palestinian citizen inside and in Jerusalem in particular.

Zahalka called for these statements to be recorded as evidence before international courts, such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, because what was previously considered unreasonable has now become official policy in Israel.

He added: Ben Gvir's statements are in line with the racist atmosphere prevalent in Israel, and contribute to dragging Israeli society towards fascism.

Settlers are now ruling Israel
For his part, Dr. Muhammad Halsa, an academic and researcher in Israeli affairs, said: “The settlers are no longer just an influential group within Israel, but have come to rule the state, control its basic joints, and formulate its official policy.”

He pointed out that Itamar Ben-Gvir's positions are nothing but an embodiment of what is happening on the ground in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Halsa stressed that the current Israeli government is adopting an approach and strategy based on strengthening the extremist calls of settlers, exploiting the current circumstances to transform these calls into a tangible reality.

He added: The security and financial powers are in the hands of the nationalist right, led by Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is no less right-wing than them.

Halsa explained that the escalation of violence and field executions practiced by Israel against Palestinians reflects the rise of right-wing fascism in Israeli society, pointing out that Ben Gvir had previously implemented policies restricting the movement of Palestinians, as happened after the Al-Zaim checkpoint operation, when he prevented Palestinians from moving through the streets for periods exceeding weeks.

Halsa concluded his speech by saying that these policies are part of an official strategy of the Israeli state, and cannot be described as mere personal whims of government members.

Ben Gvir has broad powers
Ismail Muslimani, a political analyst from Jerusalem, criticized the recent statements of extremist Itamar Ben Gvir, considering that they provoke Palestinian feelings and increase tension in the region.

He noted that Ben-Gvir, who has broad powers including managing prisons and the police, repeatedly expresses "hatred and hatred" toward Palestinians.

He said: "These statements are causing widespread resentment, not only in Palestinian circles, but also in the European Union and the White House. Despite the previous sanctions imposed by the European Union, the European Foreign Minister announced the end of these sanctions and their removal, which opens the way for further escalation in light of the continuation of these provocative statements."

Al-Musalmani considered that Ben Gvir's statements came as a reaction to the recent operations in Gush Etzion, Karmi Tzur, and Tarqumiya, where Ben Gvir renewed his call to execute Palestinians who are arrested, calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to implement these calls.

Muslimani explained that a bill to execute Palestinians in response to operations was submitted to the Knesset, but it has not been discussed yet.

Measures that reflect the Israeli government's orientations
Muslimani stressed that the measures on the ground reflect the Israeli government's orientations, as policies have already been implemented that increase the pace of settlement, noting that the Palestinians are exposed to increasing obstacles to movement through hundreds of checkpoints spread from north to south.

He explained that there is a clear priority for settlers on the main roads in the West Bank, as they are allowed to pass first, while Palestinians are forced to wait for long hours.

He also stressed that Ben Gvir's statements call for preventing the movement of Palestinians between cities and villages, describing the Palestinian Authority areas as "terrorist", which reflects a hardline approach aimed at strengthening restrictions on the freedom of movement of Palestinians.
"Ben Gvir's calls are not just personal positions, but rather express the policy of the current Israeli government," Musalmani added, noting that there is an intention to implement more restrictions on the movement of Palestinians, especially in light of the ongoing escalation in the West Bank.

Ben Gvir and Smotrich dominate the political scene
In turn, Wadih Abu Nassar, an expert in Israeli affairs, said: The extreme right in Israel has gradually begun to become the middle ground, and even the mainstream in the Israeli street.

Abu Nassar explained that this shift is due to two main reasons: The first is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s support for this movement, and even his reliance on it to protect him politically and prevent his downfall. Netanyahu, who seeks to remain in power under any circumstances, strengthens the power of this movement, even if he does not agree with it on everything, which gives figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich the opportunity to dominate the political scene.

He added: The second reason is the state of fear that the Israeli street is experiencing, as many feel that Israel is besieged regionally and internationally, despite the international support it receives. This feeling of fear, especially among broad sectors of the Jewish street, leads to a continuous shift to the right.

Abu Nassar pointed out that Ben Gvir, who a few years ago had difficulty passing the electoral threshold, is now a party that occupies a middle position. According to opinion polls, Ben Gvir may win 12 to 13 seats in the upcoming elections, and perhaps more.

He added: What was considered marginal in what Ben-Gvir and Smotrich say is now becoming part of the official Israeli position, thanks to their continued influence on decision-making in the state, especially on Netanyahu, who seems to have adopted their positions for purely political reasons.

Abu Nassar stressed that Ben Gvir, who may seem marginal to some, has largely succeeded in imposing his opinion on the Israeli leadership, which is clearly evident through the internal disagreements between Netanyahu and the Minister of Defense on sensitive issues such as the Netzarim and Philadelphi axes.

Ben Gvir is a decisive factor in any government coalition

For her part, Ratiba al-Natsheh, a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA), said: Ben Gvir is a key player in the current government coalition, and opinion polls in Israel indicate that his party’s popularity is increasing, and that it is likely to win additional seats in any upcoming elections, which makes him a decisive factor in any government coalition.

She added: “His statements cannot be considered outside the official policy of the current government and its orientations that it entered into as electoral promises that it implements on the ground, seizing every opportunity to do so, noting that Ben Gvir’s recent statements to prevent Palestinian movement in the streets of the West Bank are not the first since he assumed the Ministry of Internal Security, and he partially implemented them by preventing Palestinians from passing from Al-Eizariya through a roundabout and roads adjacent to the “Ma’ale Adumim” settlement in Jerusalem.

He also spoke repeatedly about his desire to pass a law to execute prisoners. He is the one who gave the green light to field executions and rewarded and congratulated everyone who killed a Palestinian in the field, and absolutely refused to hold them accountable.

Exploiting the heightened emotions following the Palestinian attacks
Al-Natsheh explained that Ben Gvir seeks, as part of a policy of formalizing and legalizing his ideas, to present the proposal to the Knesset in the next session for a vote, exploiting the inflamed emotions resulting from Palestinian attacks in the West Bank and demands by Knesset members for the Attorney General to declare a state of war in the West Bank.

Al-Natsheh saw that these statements are consistent with the widespread armament of the settlers, and the calls of Finance Minister Smotrich to revive the settlements in the northern West Bank, in addition to more than 7,000 new settlement units in a policy that is considered an annexation of the West Bank lands, and the statements of the Prime Minister who spoke about canceling his recognition of the Oslo divisions and any obligations related to them and that he will prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Ben Gvir is an official partner in decision-making.
For his part, Hassan Abd Rabbo, a specialist in prisoners' affairs, said: Itamar Ben Gvir is one of the leaders of the government coalition with Netanyahu, and therefore he is a partner in making the official decision of the occupation government. He added: The leaks or statements issued by him translate into actual steps.

Abdul Rabbo explained that after October 7, very harsh decisions were issued that had an impact on the prisoners, including crimes, torture, starvation, thirst, and deprivation of family visits and the Red Cross.

He considered Ben Gvir's demand to execute prisoners to be nothing new, and he had previously called for this issue, but this requires steps and legislation in the Knesset, and major approvals, and it falls under the category of racist incitement against prisoners.

Abdul Rabbo believed that Ben Gvir's statements would increase the state of tension, clashes and escalation of the situation, and that they were a cover for settlers and soldiers to deal brutally with prisoners, in violation of all international laws and conventions.