Ben Gvir calls for Israel to assassinate Syrian President

Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has called for the assassination of Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, marking the second such call by an Israeli minister in 24 hours.

“The shocking images from Syria prove one thing: once a jihadist, always a jihadist,” Ben Gvir says in a video statement, claiming, “Anyone who murders, shaves mustaches, humiliates, and rapes cannot be negotiated with, and the only thing that can be done is to eliminate al-Julani.” He was referring to Sharaa’s former nom de guerre, Mohammad al-Julani, according to The Times of Israel. 

The far-right minister also said: “I love the Druze in Israel and embrace them warmly. I say to them: we must strike the head of the snake,” in his words.

On Monday, Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli also called for the killing of President Al-Sharaa, accusing him of being “a terrorist and a brutal killer.”

On Wednesday, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on around 160 targets in the southern Syrian provinces of Sweida and Daraa, as well as central Damascus. The attacks killed one person and wounded 18 others in the capital.

READ: Syrian president: We foiled an Israeli plan to ignite unrest in Sweida