Overview

• Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's National Security Minister and a known Kahanist, is set to deliver two talks at Yale University's Shabtai Society this week.
• The invitation has drawn criticism from mainstream Jewish organizations like the ADL and Jewish Federations of North America, which refuse to engage with Ben-Gvir.
• Ben-Gvir's far-right political bloc won 14 Knesset seats in 2022, marking a significant shift in Israeli politics toward extremism.
• Critics argue that hosting Ben-Gvir legitimizes his extremist views, which include support for Jewish supremacist policies and opposition to democratic norms.
• The controversy highlights broader divisions within Jewish and academic communities over the balance between free speech and moral accountability.