Ben-gvir to be police minister under coalition deal

Israeli far-right politician Itamar Ben-gvir is to become police minister under a coalition deal with Prime Ministerdesignate Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party that is set to create the most right-wing government in the country’s history.

The agreement comes after Netanyahu’s right-wing alliance won a comfortable victory in this month’s parliamentary election, Israel’s fifth in less than four years.

Netanyahu is still continuing talks with three other parties on forming the new government.

“We took a big step (last night) towards a full coalition agreement, towards forming a fully, fully rightwing government,” Ben-gvir said in a statement issued on Friday.

Ben-gvir, who was convicted in 2007 of racist incitement against Arabs and backing a group considered by Israel and the United States to be a terrorist organisation, will have an expanded security portfolio that will include responsibility for Border Police in the occupied West Bank.