08 May 2023; MEMO: European Union announced on Sunday its opposition to the participation of Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in Europe Day ceremony to be held in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Israeli media reported.
According to Israeli Channel 12, the EU delegation told the Israeli Foreign Ministry that the bloc does not want Ben-Gvir's presence as the Israeli representative at its ceremony because of his far-right and racist political views.
"We do not support the political views of Minister Ben-Gvir, or his party. For example, many of his past statements and opinions contradict the views the European Union represents," an EU official told Israeli public broadcaster KAN.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted a European ambassador to Israel, without giving his name, as saying last week that he prefers not to meet or work with Ben-Gvir or extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich due to their views.
Ben-Gvir's office, meanwhile, said the Israeli minister still plans to attend the Europe Day celebratory event on Tuesday.
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"The minister believes that even if the representatives of the Union 'do not support his views'… they understand very well that Israel is a democracy, and in a democracy, it is allowed to hear different opinions," his office said in a statement.
Ben-Gvir holds far-right views on the Palestinians and has called for their displacement. He has repeatedly joined Israeli settlers in storming Al Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem.
Ben-Gvir was nominated as a government representative on Europe Day by the Israeli Cabinet Secretariat, which sends ministers to receptions on the occasion of the National Days of Foreign Embassies.
For its part, the Israeli government secretariat said in response to the European demand that it would only do so if the minister asked to replace him.
In November 2022, Anadolu reported Israeli President Isaac Herzog warning in a leaked audio that "the whole world is worried" about Ben-Gvir's far-right views.
