Michael Ben-Ari

Portrait of Ben-Ari

Michael Ben-Ari or Mike Ben-Ari (Hebrew: מיכאל בן ארי; born 12 October 1963) is a Jewish historian, politician, former member of Knesset. 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 Otzma Yehudit. 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 Kahanist after Rabbi Meir Kahane to be elected to the Knesset. He has a Ph.D in Land of Israel and Archaeology studies.

Early life

Ben-Ari grew up in Kfar Shalem neighbourhood of south Tel Aviv, born to Mizrahi Jewish parents from the Islamic Republic of Iran and Afghanistan. He used to study at the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva at Kfar Haroeh, at the hesder yeshiva in Yamit, a Jewish settlement in the Sinai Peninsula, and Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav. As part of his hesder army service, he was with the Nahal settlement at Neve Dekalim from 1982 to 1986. He studied education at Bar-Ilan University, gaining a BA, before studying the Talmud for a Master's degree, and the Land of Israel for a PhD. Later on, he thought at Darchei No'am Yeshiva in Petach Tikva as well as the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva in Giv'at Shmuel.

Political career

Doctor Michael Ben-Ari views himself as an unapologetic Kahanist, especially with his previous involvement in the Kach Party. He ran with the Herut party in the 2003 elections, and for the 2006 elections, he ran with the party Jewish National Front, but both times failed to be elected since the parties failed the threshold. and for the 2006 elections, he ran with the Jewish National Front party, Leading up to the 2009 elections the Jewish Front and new party Eretz Yisrael Shelanu merged together. 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 Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir, known Jewish settler activists in Hebron as his aides.

In 2009, in an open letter to Israeli leaders and politicians, Ben-Ari stated that Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Israel would be an insult to Holocaust survivor's victims.

Michael Ben Ari, successor to his teacher, Meir Kahane, founder of the Kach Party, has succeeded in integrating himself into Israel's political arena. According to Uri Avnery his extremist perorations are listened to with 'rapt attention' by most factions in the Knesset.

Ben-Ari's November 2009 United States visa application was denied on the grounds of his arrest during anti-disengagement protests in 2005 and extensive support for Israeli far-right ideologies such as Kahanism.

Ben-Ari opened his external office in his south Tel Aviv neighbourhood. 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.

In 2012, the U.S. State Department denied visa for Michael Ben-Ari to attend a conference in Washington D.C.

In July 2012, all Members of Knesset were sent a copy of the New Testament by a missionary 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, Marzel and Aryeh Eldad left the National Union to establish Otzma LeYisrael. Ben-Ari and Eldad publicly burned Palestinian flags in response to the passage of United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19. Back then, this party failed to cross the 2% threshold in the 2013 elections, with Eldad subsequently losing his seat.

In November 2022, Baruch Marzel and Michael Ben-Ari started the process in November 2022 to launch a micro-party, further right or equal to Otzma Yehudit.

Political arguments

In March 2010, in response to David Miliband's statement that the State of Israel's cloning of British passports is "intolerable", Eldad commented: "I think the British are being hypocritical (or camouflaging), and I do not wish to insult dogs here, since some dogs show true loyalty, [but] who 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 aren't loyal to us. They seem to be loyal to the establishment".

Ben-Ari asserts himself as a follower of Rabbi Meir Kahane and that the State of Israel should expel Palestinians, Lebanese, Bedouin, and other Arabs.

In May 2011, he equated 'leftists' with Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) calling them "germs" and "enemies of Israel".

During a protest demanding the government escalate the assault on Gaza, he repeated "Let the Israeli Defence Forces 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."

Legal issues

On 1 June 2009, Ben-Ari was handcuffed and arrested after being involved in an incident near the Jewish settlement of Yitzhar despite his parliamentary immunity as MK. He climbed onto an army truck and refused to get off, demanding that the Israel Border Police and Israel Defense Forces soldiers explain to him why they had arrested and handcuffed minors at a roadblocking protest. Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin called the police commissioner and clarified that the police has no authority to arrest an MK without his approval. Yitzhak Aharonovich, the Internal Security Minister, justified the arrest, despite Ben Ari's parliamentary immunity, saying that he won't 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 Rabbi Michael Ben-Ari was not incarcerated. It was reported that a letter from the Chief of General Staff'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, criticized the Ministry of Defense for boycotting the meeting and not sending representatives.

2019 election ban

After an appeal by Meretz party, the Supreme Court of Israel barred Ben-Ari and Marzel from running in the election due to his extremist political views. Currently he serves as a candidate for Otzma Yehudit, cur. led by Ben-Gvir.

Personal life

Ben-Ari is a Jewish Israeli settler in Karnei Shomron. He is married with nine children. His brother, Herzl Ben-Ari, is the former head of the Karnei Shomron Local Council.