Ahead of Oct. 27 Israeli Election, Ben-Gvir's Rise and a Trump Backer's Objection Draw Attention

Polling ahead of Israel's Oct. 27 election projects that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit Party will win seven to ten seats in the 120-member Knesset. That could make any future government led by Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud contingent on Ben-Gvir's support and let him secure senior ministerial portfolios. Israelis vote on Tuesday. Separately, a billionaire American investor and Trump backer said Ben-Gvir and fellow far-right politician Smotrich should not serve in the next Israeli government. He said their statements and actions have caused Israel enormous reputational damage. As national security minister, Ben-Gvir oversees the ministry responsible for internal security, including the Israel Police, the Israel Prison Service and civilian firearms licensing. Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron and the No. 12 candidate on the Otzma Yehudit list, told Fox News Digital that Ben-Gvir would simply be called a Texan if he were in America.

Right-leaning coverage, represented here by Fox News, leads with a profile of Ben-Gvir that asks who he is. It calls him a firebrand and a highly controversial figure, places him within a wider populist-right trend that includes France's National Rally, the Netherlands' Party for Freedom and Germany's AfD, and features polling and Fleisher's quotes. In the excerpt available, it does not mention the criticism of Ben-Gvir that Reuters reports. Reuters, the alternative source, has a different angle: its headline and excerpt center on the investor's argument that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich should be kept out of government. Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while alternative and right-leaning outlets had. Those covering it are focused on Ben-Gvir's electoral influence and on the objection to his role.