Lapid says he will not shake hands with 'terror supporter' Ben-Gvir

Leader of the opposition, MK Yair Lapid, said in a press conference at the Knesset in Jerusalem on Wednesday that he would not shake hands with National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir since he “did not shake hands with terror supporters.”

The comment came after MK Benny Gantz was photographed on Monday evening patting Ben-Gvir on the back and shaking his hand at the wedding of Motti Babchik’s daughter. Babchik serves as the chief of staff of Construction and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, and is an influential figure in United Torah Judaism.

Gantz was criticized for his participation in the wedding on the day of massive protests against the government over the death of six hostages, whose bodies were retrieved over the weekend. He responded to the criticism at a press conference on Tuesday evening, saying that he believed there was nothing wrong with shaking hands with rivals, and that he attended the wedding in order not to “humiliate” Babchik by not respecting the invitation.

Gantz was a government minister alongside Ben-Gvir beginning shortly after the outbreak of war in October until his leaving the government in June. The two were also members of the National Security Cabinet.

Otzma Yehudit responds 

Ben-Gvir belonged to the far-right Kach movement as a teenager. The movement was eventually deemed a terror organization and deemed illegal. The national security was indicted 53 times and convicted eight times, including two convictions of supporting a terror organization.

Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party said in response, “Yair Lapid, who formed a government with the assistance of terror supporters from the Islamic Movement, who refuse to condemn the murder of soldiers and support terror – has no right to preach to minister Ben-Gvir and the members of Otzma Yehudit. Yair, continue shaking hands with the terror supporters [MK Ahmad] Tibi, [MK Mansour] Abbas, and the rest of the friends that you love so much.”