In a controversial visit to the United States, far-right Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir faced a barrage of protests and strong opposition as he embarked on his debut state visit since taking office in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in 2022. During an event at a Manhattan steakhouse on Thursday, Ben-Gvir was interrupted by Brooklyn local Gabriel DeFazio, who had reportedly hidden in the bathroom for two hours before storming in to protest. DeFazio shouted at the minister to leave New York, branding him a “Nazi” and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Though security swiftly removed DeFazio from the venue, the interruption underscored the contentious presence of Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist figure in Israeli politics.
This visit is Ben-Gvir’s first official trip to the U.S., and his itinerary has drawn significant attention and controversy, particularly due to his far-right views. In New Haven, near Yale University on Wednesday, his appearance sparked large demonstrations and led to resignations of several members of the Jewish society that had organized the visit. A scheduled visit the following night to the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Brooklyn saw similar backlash. Protesters carrying Palestinian flags were met by Orthodox Jewish counter-demonstrators, resulting in a physical altercation with six people arrested. One woman, covered in a kaffiyeh, was left bleeding, according to videos circulated on social media.
Rabbi Motti Seligson, representing Chabad, clarified that although Ben-Gvir was invited by some within the community, the synagogue’s leadership did not officially endorse the event. The minister’s visit has highlighted significant rifts within American Judaism. David Vincent Kimel, a former member of Shabtai, the hosting group near Yale, pointed out the tensions and environmental rifts exacerbated by such polarizing figures. Kimel, an Israeli native, and two others resigned over Shabtai’s decision to host Ben-Gvir, calling the event “deliberately provocative.” He equated inviting Ben-Gvir to inviting the Ku Klux Klan to a white society function.
Rabbi Schmully Hecht, co-founder of Shabtai, made no further comments to inquiries but reportedly expressed admiration for Ben-Gvir through another news agency. Ben-Gvir himself is known for advocating for Jewish settler expansion and has been convicted in the past of racist incitement and supporting terrorist-like activities. His political stance includes calls to deport Arab citizens from Israel, and he displays controversial symbols like a picture of a man notorious for a massacre of Muslim worshippers.
Despite earlier political isolation due to his extremism, Ben-Gvir’s influence is rising in line with the Israeli electorate’s rightward tilt. His doctrinal ideology has even raised alarms in international diplomacy, with President Joe Biden’s State Department previously describing him as “sowing chaos.” However, his views appear to be gaining some traction within American political forums.
Launching his U.S. visit at Mar-a-Lago, Ben-Gvir reportedly met with Republican Party members supportive of his plans regarding Gaza, though former President Donald Trump was not an attendee. His U.S. trip also involved visits to the Miami Police Department, a Jewish school in Florida, and a Jewish-owned firearm retailer. Several planned events have since been canceled, such as meetings with a Hasidic congregation in Brooklyn and another synagogue on Long Island.
In response to his visit, several Jewish leaders in New York, including U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler, assembled to condemn Ben-Gvir, labeling him a “racist, terrorist, Jewish supremacist.” Nadler announced intentions to propose legislation targeting violence in the West Bank. Protester Gabriel DeFazio later explained his actions at the steakhouse, citing a responsibility to resist the normalization of extremist politics in both the U.S. and Israel. DeFazio emphasized his shock and disapproval at Ben-Gvir’s presence in the country, especially in esteemed academic and urban centers such as New York City.