Khaberni - Israeli Channel 13 revealed that the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, was unusually invited to the US Embassy in Israel to get his fingerprints taken as part of a visa application he has made to the United States, despite him holding a diplomatic passport.
The channel reported today, Monday, that Ben Gvir is expected to visit the United States to participate in a special event and to hold a meeting described as "diplomatic".
It noted that the embassy’s request is an "unusual requirement given the minister's possession of a diplomatic passport, a procedure not customary for elected officials at this level, who are not subject to the bureaucratic procedures that ordinary citizens are."
Channel 13 Israeli reported a response it received from Ben Gvir's office after it asked for a comment on the matter, which stated: "Every Israeli citizen who applies for a visa to enter the United States is required to provide their fingerprints. Minister Ben Gvir is no exception, and since the primary purpose of the trip is personal, he chose not to take advantage of his status as minister, and applied for a regular visa just like any other citizen."
Last Thursday, the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" reported that Ben Gvir requested approval to travel with his family on a vacation to the United States at the expense of an Israeli businessman residing in Miami.
Ben Gvir stated in his request, according to Haaretz, that the vacation, which will last several days, would be funded by the Israeli businessman Jacob Alharar, commonly known as "Kobi", and that the reason for the trip is to attend Alharar's daughter's wedding, scheduled for next week.
The newspaper added that at the time: "The request was referred to the Permits Committee of the State Comptroller's office, as procedures require, although legal sources said that comments made by the committee induced Ben Gvir to withdraw his request."
Estimates suggest that the cost of the trip amounts to tens of thousands of shekels, which will be used, among other things, to cover the costs of air travel and accommodation in the United States for the Ben Gvir couple and their children. It is expected that they will be accompanied on the trip by security guards from the Israeli Prime Minister's office, at the state's expense, according to Haaretz.
The newspaper clarified that according to the guidelines of the legal advisor to the Israeli government, ministers can be approved for travel abroad at the expense of an ordinary person, provided that this funding does not raise suspicion of a conflict of interest, affect the integrity of public service, or breach the rules of proper administration.
European Sanctions
On a related note, European Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas mentioned that there is no consensus among the bloc's countries regarding imposing sanctions on Ben Gvir, who is already barred from entering several countries in Europe.
She said at the conclusion of a meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg: "Several member states have also proposed imposing sanctions on Minister Ben Gvir, but no consensus was reached on this today."
It is worth noting that Ben Gvir was barred from entering France and Ireland at the end of May, following a video he posted showing mistreatment of detained activists from the "Fleet of the Steadfast" kneeling and with their hands bound after being intercepted at sea, and their detainment in southern Israel, which sparked international outrage.
Several countries, including France, Spain, and Italy, have called for European sanctions against him. Additionally, the judicial authorities in both Italy and France have opened investigations against him on charges of torturing the activists.
