Middle East Monitor / August 8, 2023
For the first time since he took office in December, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has held a meeting with a European official while on holiday in Cyprus.
During a visit to the firefighting control and coordination centre in Limassol, Ben-Gvir met with Cypriot Justice and Public Order Minister Anna Koukkides-Prokopiou along with members of the Greek Cypriot police force.
The meeting came as Israeli firefighters are aiding local services to tackle wildfires that have broken out in the Limassol area.
Koukkides-Prokopiou said: “Hosting Minister Ben-Gvir at the coordination center today has provided the opportunity for a productive discussion between the two countries on firefighting and dealing with emergency situations, as well as other issues related to national security, such as the fight against terrorism, that are of interest to both countries. We expect to have even more beneficial contacts in the near future.”
As one of the Israeli coalition government’s most right-wing ministers, Ben-Gvir has been shunned by world leaders. In January, a delegation of US senators that visited Israel asked not to meet Ben-Gvir or any member of his hardline faction.
Ben-Gvir is a self-described disciple of the late racist rabbi Meir Kahane. He was convicted of terror offenses over his support for Kahane’s outlawed Kach movement and has long advocated for deporting “disloyal” Palestinian citizens of Israel.
