Will Ben Gvir’s Extreme Views Result in a Public Relations Catastrophe?
While Tucker Carlson and Candice Owens proudly trumpet the “crimes” of Israel, and as the rise of the New Anti-Semitism reaches a crescendo among both Left and Right in American media, the last thing Jews around the world need is a public relations catastrophe.
Anti-Israeli propaganda was once the parlance of fringe political groups, Arab angst, and Old-World European notions. It has now moved mainstream into the journalistic universe and, in many sectors, is now considered a legitimate position.
Ben Gvir’s extreme positions, and his wily use of social media do not seem to be the right medicine to cure it.
Posting videos of Palestinian prisoners in distress and his howling for the extension of the death penalty, are gladly welcomed by the rabid anti-Jewish trolls and foreign media outlets like hungry piranhas.
It would be one thing if Ben Gvir was an Op Ed columnist looking for clicks on his article. It is quite another thing to be Minister of National Security in charge of the police and prisons.
The takeaways from some of his rants are fertilizing an already difficult public relations pit that Israel seems to have fallen into. A cursory look at the Gaza situation without context has been the boogey man fed by pundits around the world.
And the world has reacted in agreement as Israel has become the international whipping boy. Pew Research Center’s Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey (across 36 countries) found a median of 67% of adults holding an unfavorable view of Israel versus 25% favorable.
This includes Israel’s closest ally, the United States, where the latest polling indicates that 60% of the American populace has a negative view of the Jewish state.
Honestly, this is a statistic that should raise eyebrows.
The strong anti-Arab position of Otzma Yehudit, the party that Ben Gvir leads, is seemingly objective proof to many around the world that Israel is a racist, apartheid state. Israel’s military ventures are certainly not seen as self-protection, but, rather, expansionist forays to accomplish the goal of “Greater Israel.”
It would seem that most Israelis see his positions as extreme and harmful. But electorates can be fickle.
Indeed, while even most Right leaning Israelis view his positions negatively, is it possible for the average Israeli to start to see his views as acceptable?
Consider the elections in the past two decades in the United States. Bill Clinton, a centrist-left, was elected twice—so too was Obama of a similar stripe.
They then elected Donald Trump.
Joe Biden then served as a liberal interlude for Trump to be elected again.
If the security forces appear to start to be ineffective and there is a major flare-up of terrorist activities, will the Israeli electorate shift and make Ben Gvir’s ideas mainstream?
Keep in mind that the far-right is part of Netanyahu’s coalition. So, the idea that the electorate could shift is certainly not that far-fetched.
Currently, there are many small parties vying for the Israeli ear. Many of these are extreme right—and Israeli politics has always seemed to be coalition based.
If the extreme right rises to power, will Israel’s standing in the world fall deeper into the public relations abyss?
One never knows. But a tiny country surrounded by existential threats needs all the friends it can get.
Pragmatic and rational minds need to prevail because perception can be as powerful as cold steel.
Joseph M Bianchi is an independent columnist based in Greenville, SC, USA. His work has appeared in national and international publications. He has written extensively on Israeli policies and the rise of the New Anti-Semitism.