{
  "id": 1895938,
  "title": "'You're a clown!': Ben-Gvir faces verbal assault from residents during visit to northern Israel",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/youre-a-clown-ben-gvir-faces-verbal-assault-from-residents-during",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T08:46:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-905967"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir faced a verbal assault from residents during his visit to the village of Basmat Tabun in northern Israel on Tuesday. Accompanied by heavy security, Ben-Gvir toured the streets and received a barrage of curses and harsh criticism over his performance.\n\nUnhappy with his approach, a resident shouted, \"You're making a fool of yourself,\" while another said, \"You're a clown. Everyone is laughing at you.\" They also accused him of being a champion of failure, suggesting he didn't receive a visa to the United States.\n\nOne video showed residents calling the minister a \"terrorist,\" asserting, \"A minister convicted of terrorism, you're a terrorist. Go to a mental institution - you shouldn't be here. You incite terror.\"\n\nThe video emerged amid two other recent incidents where the Arab public had harshly criticized Ben-Gvir and Israel Police. In one, residents of Umm al-Fahm claimed police raided a wedding and ordered guests to lie on the floor. Police stated they acted on suspicion of weapons use during the event.\n\nDr. Yousef Jabareen, chairman of Hadash and a resident of Umm al-Fahm, accused Ben-Gvir of exploiting his authority to harm and persecute the Arab public, claiming it benefited his election campaign. Another incident involved police detaining a bride and groom after their wedding convoy disrupted traffic. The couple claimed they arrived late to their own wedding, while Ben-Gvir dismissed the allegation as a political stunt.",
  "summary": "\"You are making a fool of yourself,\" residents shouted at him. \"You're a clown. Everyone is laughing at you. You are a champion of failure. They didn't even give you a visa to the United States.\"",
  "key_points": [
    "Residents called him a \"fool,\" \"clown,\" and accused him of being a \"terrorist.\"",
    "Criticism stemmed from his performance and perceived harm to Arab public."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The confrontation highlights deep-seated tensions between Ben-Gvir and the Arab public, who accuse him of exploiting his authority to harm and persecute them, further polarizing an already strained relationship.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}