Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Tuesday he will seek the post of defense minister in the next government, as the country prepares for next month's elections. Ben-Gvir, who is a key minister in the right-wing coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, regularly sparks international outrage with his provocative statements and political stunts. "The reason I am putting myself forward is that the time has come to change the mindset within the army," Ben Gvir said, at a press conference in Jerusalem. "The time has come to transform the State of Israel's security doctrine with a single objective -- decisive victory on every front," he added. The firebrand minister put forward a "security plan" that includes the "encouragement of voluntary emigration" of Palestinians from both Gaza and the occupied West Bank, disarming what he called the "terrorist" Palestinian Authority, and increased support for Israeli soldiers. Earlier in September, Ben-Gvir presented a detailed plan to "encourage" Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to move abroad. Although members of the ruling right-wing coalition have made multiple statements about transferring Palestinians out of Gaza, it is unclear to what extent their remarks will be followed by action. Forced displacement of civilians in occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. Ben-Gvir's announcement that he is seeking the defense post caused an uproar among Israeli opposition leaders. Gadi Eisenkot, a key contender for the premiership, accused his main rival Netanyahu on X of having "lost it" by accepting "criminal Ben-Gvir" in his coalition. In his youth, Ben-Gvir was charged more than 50 times for incitement to violence or hate speech, but boasts he was cleared in the vast majority of those cases. According to Israeli media, he was not drafted into the military due to his involvement in extremist far-right groups. The October 27 vote is expected to be close, and there is no guarantee that the parties currently in power will remain so after then. According to a Channel 16 survey published Sunday, Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party is polling at seven percent, which would grant it eight out of 120 seats in Israel's parliament, the Knesset.
