Story perspectives

Netanyahu Keeps Defense Portfolio Under Likud After Election

By Drooid · Oct 18, 2026, 7:59 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Netanyahu Blocks Ben-Gvir

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Defense and National Security ministries will remain under Likud after the October 27 election.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir alleged the Prime Minister’s Office promised EU governments to exclude him from next cabinet.
Netanyahu reiterated he will not appoint Ben-Gvir as Defense Minister, keeping the portfolio under Likud control.
Ben-Gvir warned that reducing Otzma Yehudit to five seats could keep right-wing voters from turning out.

Summary

Ben-Gvir Proposes Righteousness

Ben-Gvir proposed swapping the IDF’s “Purity of Arms” ethic for a “Righteousness of Arms” principle.
The draft urges soldiers to kill attackers pre-emptively.
It would remove language requiring force only as necessary and protecting non-combatants.
The code would place Jewish biblical law and tradition at the core of military ethics.
Polls this week project Otzma Yehudit could increase from six to nine Knesset seats.

History

Historical Context

On 17 May 1977 Israel held elections in which Likud, led by Menachem Begin, won a plurality, ending almost 30 years of Labor-Alignment rule—a shift dubbed the Mahapach. Today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to give Itamar Ben-Gvir the defense ministry and Otzma Yehudit’s push for a “Righteousness of Arms” code echo that historic power transition.

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Netanyahu Blocks Ben-Gvir

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Defense and National Security ministries will remain under Likud after the October 27 election.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir alleged the Prime Minister’s Office promised EU governments to exclude him from next cabinet.
Netanyahu reiterated he will not appoint Ben-Gvir as Defense Minister, keeping the portfolio under Likud control.
Ben-Gvir warned that reducing Otzma Yehudit to five seats could keep right-wing voters from turning out.

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