National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir verbally clashed Wednesday with residents of Tel Sheva while visiting the community hours after a deadly shooting.

The far-right minister, accused by some of having allowed a violent crime wave in the Arab community to go unchecked, has been visiting southern Bedouin towns in recent days, after announcing a new operation to fight violent crime in the Negev.

The visits have aggravated residents, who view the operation and Ben Gvir’s provocative tours in the area as a bid to win over voters in southern Jewish locales ahead of the next election.

In one confrontation captured on camera, local resident Jawad Abu Assa quarreled through the rolled-down window of his car with the combative minister, who can be heard at the start of the clip telling him: “You all don’t like to see police, you aren’t used to houses being destroyed, you’re not used to getting tickets.”

“Let me tell you something,” Abu Assa responded. “Who did you lose in the war? Me, my brother died in the war. Who did you lose? You just say fiery things.” Hamas terrorists murdered Osama Abu Assa, Jawad’s brother, on October 7, 2023.

Ben Gvir responded, “1,500 of my brothers died in the war.”

עימות בין בן גביר לתושב תל שבע:........

© The Times of Israel