Otzma Yehudit Releases Footage of Itamar Ben Gvir Visiting Nahal Oz Days Before October 7

Otzma Yehudit party released footage showing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir during a visit to Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 4, 2023, just three days before the Hamas terror attacks. In the video, the minister is seen speaking with the kibbutz security coordinators, one of whom was subsequently murdered in the massacre and the other severely wounded, outlining his opposition to containment policies against Hamas.

Addressing the government's internal disagreements at the time, Ben Gvir stated that a large faction wished to avoid confrontation, whereas he argued for initiating a conflict immediately to prevent a significantly larger threat in the future. He warned that delaying a confrontation would lead to a scenario with tenfold increases in enemy rockets, ammunition, and military strength within a decade or a half.

Against the backdrop of the Gaza Strip, the minister also criticized IDF open-fire regulations regarding border riots, expressing disagreement with the military chief and security officials. He asserted that individuals approaching the security fence with hostile intentions should be met with lethal force rather than tear gas, maintaining that any normal country would shoot to kill under such circumstances.

The publication serves as part of Otzma Yehudit's political campaign to position Ben Gvir as an early opponent of the pre-war security establishment concept. An accompanying statement from the party claimed that had Ben Gvir served as defense minister instead of professional security figures at the time, the October 7 disaster would have been averted.