Michael Ben-Ari
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Michael Ben-Ari ( he, מיכאל בן ארי, born 12 October 1963) is an Israeli politician, and former member of the
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
. During the 18th Knesset, Ben Ari was a member of the National Union party, until it broke up as elections for the 19th Knesset approached and he co-established the Otzma LeYisrael party. He failed to be re-elected to the 19th Knesset. He was banned by the courts from running in the 2019 election. He was the first outspoken disciple of Rabbi Meir Kahane to have been elected to the Knesset. He has a
Ph.D A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...
in
Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...
and
Archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
studies.


Early life

Ben-Ari grew up in the
Kfar Shalem Kfar Shalem ( he, כפר שלם, lit: Shalem Village) is a neighbourhood in southeastern Tel Aviv, Israel. Salameh Street / Shalma Street in Tel Aviv is named after the Arab village of Salamah located on the site prior to 1948. History Until 19 ...
neighbourhood in south
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
, born to Mizrahi Jewish parents from
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. He studied at the Bnei Akiva
yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are s ...
at Kfar Haroeh, at the hesder yeshiva in Yamit, and at the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva. As part of his hesder army service, he was with the
Nahal settlement Nahal settlements ( he, היאחזות נח"ל, ''Heahzut Nahal'') were settlements established by Nahal soldiers in Israel and Israeli-occupied territories Israeli-occupied territories are the lands that were captured and occupied by Isra ...
at Neve Dekalim from 1982 to 1986. He studied education at Bar-Ilan University, gaining a BA, before studying the
Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
for a Master's degree, and the Land of Israel for a PhD. He was a rabbi teacher at the Darchei No'am Yeshiva in Petach Tikva as well as the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva in
Giv'at Shmuel Giv'at Shmuel ( he, גִּבְעַת שְׁמוּאֵל, , Samuel's Hill) is a city in the Center District of Israel. It is located in the eastern part of the Gush Dan Metropolitan Area and bordered by Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak to the West, Kiryat ...
.


Political career

Previously a member of the banned Kach party, Ben-Ari still views himself as Meir Kahane's follower. He ran with the
Herut - The National Movement Herut ( he, חֵרוּת, ''Freedom'') was the major conservative nationalist political party in Israel from 1948 until its formal merger into Likud in 1988. It was an adherent of Revisionist Zionism. History Herut was founded by Menachem Begin ...
party in the 2003 elections, and for the 2006 elections, he ran with the Jewish National Front party, but both times failed to be elected since the parties did not pass the threshold. Leading up to the
2009 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2009. * Electoral calendar 2009 * 2009 United Nations Security Council election Caribbean * 2009 Antiguan general election * 2009 Aruban general election * 2009 Caymanian constitutional referendu ...
, the Jewish National Front joined a new party called
Eretz Yisrael Shelanu Eretz Yisrael Shelanu ( he, ארץ ישראל שלנו, lit., ''Land of Israel is Ours'') is a far-right religious party in Israel. Founded by Chabad Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo and Baruch Marzel on 11 November 2008, it seeks to prevent both the creati ...
. That new alliance then joined the National Union, and Ben-Ari was placed fourth on the combined list for the elections. He entered the Knesset as the party won four seats. Once elected, he appointed
Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after East J ...
residents and Kahanists
Baruch Marzel Baruch Meir Marzel ( he, ברוך מאיר מרזל, born 23 April 1959) is an Israeli politician and activist. He is an Orthodox Jew originally from Boston who now lives in the Jewish community of Hebron in Tel Rumeida with his wife and nine ch ...
and Itamar Ben-Gvir as his aides in the Knesset. In 2009, in an open letter to Israeli leaders and politicians, Ben-Ari stated that
Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
's visit to Israel would be an insult to the memory of Holocaust victims. Unlike his teacher, Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was marginalized and isolated as a member of Knesset, Ben Ari has succeeded in integrating himself into Israel's political arena. According to
Uri Avnery Uri Avnery ( he, אורי אבנרי, also transliterated Uri Avneri; 10 September 1923 – 20 August 2018) was an Israeli writer, politician, and founder of the Gush Shalom peace movement. A member of the Irgun as a teenager, Avnery sat for two ...
his extremist perorations are listened to with 'rapt attention' by most factions in the Knesset. Ben-Ari's November 2009
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
visa application was denied on the grounds of his arrest during anti- disengagement protests in 2005 and his support for Kahanist ideology. Ben-Ari opened his external Member of Knesset office in the south Tel Aviv neighbourhood where he grew up. Throughout the 18th Knesset session, he struggled to bring attention to the growing number of Sudanese he blamed for increasing crime rates and other residents' problems. In June 2011, to draw attention to what he saw as the ever-increasing illegal alien problem, he bused 40 Sudanese nationals to a prestigious pool in northern Tel Aviv, provided them with new bathing suits and paid for their entrance. Ben-Ari's 2012 visa application to attend a conference in D.C. was denied on the State Department's "prerogative to ban terrorists from entering the country." In July 2012, all Members of Knesset were sent a copy of the
New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
by a
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
organization. Ben Ari called it provocative, and subsequently tore his copy, referring to it as a despicable book responsible for the murder of millions of Jews, and which should, including the senders, be put in "history's trash can". In November 2012, Ben-Ari and Aryeh Eldad left the National Union to establish Otzma LeYisrael. Ben-Ari and Eldad publicly burned
Palestinian flag The flag of Palestine ( ar, علم فلسطين) is a tricolor of three equal horizontal stripes (black, white, and green from top to bottom) overlaid by a red triangle issuing from the hoist. This flag is derived from the Pan-Arab colors and ...
s in response to the passage of
United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19 United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19 is a resolution upgrading Palestine to non-member observer state status in the United Nations General Assembly.UNGA, 29 November 2012''Resolution 67/19. Status of Palestine in the United Nation ...
. The party failed to cross the 2% threshold in the 2013 elections and Eldad subsequently lost his Knesset seat. Ben-Ari and Marzel started the process in November 2022 to launch a new party that would be to the right of Otzma Yehudit.


Political arguments

In March 2010, in response to
David Miliband David Wright Miliband (born 15 July 1965) is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the International Rescue Committee and a former British Labour Party politician. He was the Foreign Secretary from 2007 to 2010 and the Member of P ...
's statement that the Israeli cloning of British passports is "intolerable", Aryeh Eldad commented: "I think the British are being hypocritical, and I do not wish to insult dogs here, since some dogs show true loyalty, utwho gave the British the right to judge us on the war on terror?" The canine theme was taken up by Ben-Ari, who said: "Dogs are usually loyal, the British may be dogs, but they are not loyal to us. They seem to be loyal to the anti-Semitic establishment". Ben-Ari argues that most
Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
should be expelled from Israel. In May 2011, he equated 'leftists' with
Hezbollah Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
and
Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
, calling them "germs" and "enemies of Israel". During a protest demanding the government escalate the assault on Gaza, he repeated "Let the
IDF IDF or idf may refer to: Defence forces * Irish Defence Forces * Israel Defense Forces *Iceland Defense Force, of the US Armed Forces, 1951-2006 * Indian Defence Force, a part-time force, 1917 Organizations * Israeli Diving Federation * Interac ...
kick ass!", before complaining, "Why is it that after 200 assaults only 15 were killed? It should be 15 assaults and 2,000 killed!" In July 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, he was cited as having argued that: "Those who pity their enemies end up being cruel to their own people. Those who are cruel to their enemies truly love their own people."


Arrest

On 1 June 2009, Ben-Ari was handcuffed and arrested after being involved in an incident near
Yitzhar Yitzhar ( he, יִצְהָר) is an Israeli settlement located in the West Bank, south of the city of Nablus, just off Route 60, north of the Tapuach Junction. The predominantly Orthodox Jewish community falls under the jurisdiction of Shomr ...
in the
West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
despite his
parliamentary immunity Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which politicians such as president, vice president, governor, lieutenant governor, member of parliament, member of legislative assembly, member of legislative council, s ...
as Member of Knesset. He climbed onto an army truck and refused to get off, demanding that the Israel Border Police and
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
soldiers explain to him why they had arrested and handcuffed minors at a roadblocking protest. Knesset speaker
Reuven Rivlin Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin ( he, רְאוּבֵן "רוּבִי" רִיבְלִין ; born 9 September 1939) is an Israeli politician and lawyer who served as the tenth president of Israel between 2014 and 2021. He is a member of the Likud party. Riv ...
called the police commissioner and clarified that the police has no authority to arrest an MK without his approval.
Yitzhak Aharonovich Yitzhak Aharonovich ( he, יצחק אהרונוביץ', born 22 August 1950) is an Israeli businessman and former politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for Yisrael Beiteinu between 2006 and 2015, and also held the posts of Minister of ...
, the Internal Security Minister, justified the arrest, despite Ben Ari's parliamentary immunity, saying that he will not let MKs violate the law. Ben-Ari's response was to suggest that Aharonovich first verify the facts before coming to conclusions. The IDF Spokesman's office started an investigation into whether the IDF and Border Guard acted illegally in their treatment of Ben-Ari. On 16 June, the Knesset Committee discussed Ben-Ari's arrest. While the semantics of the word 'arrest' were discussed, it was confirmed that Ben-Ari was not
incarcerated A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...
. It was reported that a letter from the
Chief of General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces ( militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Af ...
's office stated that the IDF expects elected officials and public representatives not to fan the flames and to abide by instructions from the security forces. Chairman of the committee, Ze'ev Elkin from
Likud Likud ( he, הַלִּיכּוּד, HaLikud, The Consolidation), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement, is a major centre-right to right-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon ...
, criticized the Ministry of Defense for boycotting the meeting and not sending representatives.


2019 election ban

After an appeal by the
Meretz Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
party, the
Supreme Court of Israel The Supreme Court (, ''Beit HaMishpat HaElyon''; ar, المحكمة العليا) is the Supreme court, highest court in Israel. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all other courts, and in some cases original jurisdiction. The Supreme C ...
banned Ben-Ari from running in the election due to his extremist political views. He had been a candidate of the Otzma Yehudit party.


Personal life

Ben-Ari lives in the
Israeli settlement Israeli settlements, or Israeli colonies, are civilian communities inhabited by Israeli citizens, overwhelmingly of Jewish ethnicity, built on lands occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. The international community considers Israeli se ...
of Karnei Shomron. He is married with nine children. His brother, Herzl Ben-Ari, is the former head of the Karnei Shomron Local Council.


References


External links

* *
Hamered Hagadol book first published in 2016
on the Great Revolt {{DEFAULTSORT:Ben-Ari, Michael 1963 births Living people Bar-Ilan University alumni Mercaz HaRav alumni Israeli historians Israeli settlers Israeli Kahanists Israeli Mizrahi Jews Israeli people of Afghan-Jewish descent Israeli people of Iranian-Jewish descent Members of the 18th Knesset (2009–2013) People from Tel Aviv National Union (Israel) politicians Otzma Yehudit politicians Israeli politicians of Iranian descent Leaders of political parties in Israel Opposition to Christianity in Israel