Israeli president warns of 'brutalization' in society, Ben-Gvir fires back

Israeli President Isaac Herzog warned Monday of a growing process of "brutalization" within Israeli society, prompting a sharp rebuke from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and exposing widening political divisions. Speaking during the Jerusalem Unity Prize 2026 ceremony at the President's Residence, Herzog said Israeli society was experiencing a dangerous rise in violence and dehumanization.

Herzog's warning

"I wish I could speak today only about unity," Herzog said. "But to my great sorrow, we are living through days in which violence is not the only thing rearing its head." He warned that a "terrible process of brutalization" was spreading from the margins of Israeli society and risked becoming normalized. "It is a slow and disturbing process, one that threatens to enter the mainstream of Israeli society, and we will not allow it."

Examples of violence

As examples, Herzog pointed to increasing murder rates among Arab citizens in Israel and attacks carried out by what he described as a "lawless mob" in the occupied West Bank.

Ben-Gvir's reaction

Herzog's remarks triggered immediate criticism from Ben-Gvir, whose actions against Gaza-bound flotilla participants have drawn global condemnation. "A president who calls hundreds of thousands of citizens of the State of Israel beasts is not fit to be president. Period," Ben-Gvir wrote on X. Lawmakers from Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power Party accused Herzog of further deepening political divisions.