Ben-Gvir's Aide Calls Israeli Voters 'Stupid' After Right-Wing Bloc Falls Short

An aide to Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called Israeli voters "stupid" after exit polls showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition falling short of a parliamentary majority.

"Of course I'm disappointed. The people of Israel are stupid," Osher Gabay, Ben-Gvir's personal aide, told reporters at an election-night gathering organised by the minister's Otzma Yehudit party on October 27.

The remarks, captured on video, came as projections from Israel's three main television networks pointed to a fragmented parliament, with neither Netanyahu's allies nor the opposition securing the 61 seats needed to govern.

Haaretz correspondent Liza Rozovsky first published the Hebrew-language footage. Haaretz subsequently reported the remarks in English, while Al Jazeera translated Gabay's statement as: "Obviously I'm disappointed; the people of Israel are stupid."

Exit Polls Leave Netanyahu Without a Majority

Projections from Channels 11, 12 and 13 placed Netanyahu's right-wing and religious allies at approximately 50 seats in the 120-member Knesset, well below the threshold required to form a government.

The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot was projected to secure between 52 and 53 seats, also short of a majority.

Arab parties were forecast to win between 16 and 18 seats, supported by high voter participation in Arab communities.

Netanyahu's Likud party was projected to take between 24 and 27 seats, compared with the 32 it secured in the 2022 election. Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit was expected to win six or seven seats.

Turnout stood at approximately 74% in Israel's first parliamentary election since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.

The projections left both main blocs without a clear route to a parliamentary majority, raising the prospect of prolonged negotiations over the formation of a government.

Ben-Gvir's Aide Has Criminal Convictions

Gabay, a far-right activist associated with the Shimon HaTzadik area of Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem, has previously been convicted of offences against Palestinians.

In 2017, he was convicted of assaulting a Palestinian, including kicking the victim and striking him with an iron bar following an attack in Jerusalem. He received four months of community service.

A separate conviction for threatening another Palestinian resulted in a three-month prison sentence.

According to the Times of Israel, Gabay has served as Ben-Gvir's personal aide for months, despite not being formally employed by the National Security Ministry or holding security clearance.

He has accompanied the minister on visits to sensitive locations, including the site of an Iranian missile strike in Beersheba and security wings at Ofer and Gilboa prisons.

Gabay has denied having access to classified information.

Arab Communities Celebrate Ben-Gvir's Setback

The election-night projections prompted celebrations in Arab communities, where crowds chanted "Go away Ben Gvir" as Arab parties appeared set for a substantial parliamentary presence.

Their projected 16 to 18 seats came amid strong Arab turnout, complicating the parliamentary arithmetic for Netanyahu and his allies.

Earlier on election day, Ben-Gvir had suggested that Palestinians from Gaza could be transferred to European destinations.

Speaking to reporters, he named "France... Maybe Britain, London" as possible destinations.

His aide's subsequent remarks reflected frustration within Ben-Gvir's party as the initial election projections suggested that Netanyahu's right-wing bloc would lack the seats to govern on its own.

With both major blocs below the 61-seat threshold, the exit polls pointed toward political deadlock rather than a decisive electoral victory.