Two and a half years ago, tens of thousands of Jews in most mixed cities in Israel found themselves in mortal danger when a bloodthirsty Arab-Israeli mob launched lynchings, riots and arson, which will be remembered as the Guardian of the Walls events.
This happened during (another) military round in Gaza, which was considered at the time the spark - the excuse that lit everything. Much has been written about the helplessness of civilians besieged in their homes, unable to defend themselves, begging for help from the police, who, in turn, made an effort to do the bare minimum; Much has been written since then about the fear in the streets, and the knowledge that if and when we reach the same situation, it will end much worse.
Back to the present. We're at war, it's not a military round. Something that should have long ago triggered a larger event in the mixed cities and beyond. But the sense of security is almost the opposite to what we experienced at Guardian of the Walls: dozens of armed alert squads, which were established in a quick procedure, filled the streets with guards who provide security to the residents, with police backing that works with them, not against them.
The bureaucratic process for obtaining a weapons license has also become sane, and what do you know - after a few knocks by the minister on the table, even in south Tel Aviv a special task force began to work, protecting residents from infiltrators' crime instead of arresting Shefi Paz when she calls them for help.
There are quite a few more examples, and for those wondering - the answer is yes: relatively quietly, contrary to most expectations and after a lame start, Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir gives a great job. To date, he is also about the only minister who keeps quite a few of his election promises, not to mention the ratification of most of his statements about what and how to do to the enemy, by MKs and ministers who will jump off the roof before admitting it.
The war placed Ben-Gvir in an unfamiliar place for him – far from the spotlight. One would expect a veteran and professional troll to wither slowly in pursuit of provocations in the hope of screen time, but the lack of war-sponsored attention actually made him work right, orderly and consistently, surprising everyone with flattering polls.
Contrary to most expectations and after a lame start, Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir gives a great job. To date, he is also about the only minister who keeps quite a few of his election promises
The curves of the face will remind us that it is very little wisdom to be a better minister than an anemic and irresponsible Maltz like his predecessor, Omer Barlev, a serious contender for the title of the worst security minister in the history of the country – but it should be remembered that he also succeeded in acting where ministers with a more impressive record, such as Ohana, failed. However, Ben-Gvir is still Ben-Gvir who made sure to kick an impressive vola in the bucket, with his foolish insistence on holding a debate on the death penalty law for terrorists in a Knesset committee in the presence of the families of the abductees.
Ben-Gvir is at a serious crossroads regarding his public persona. The nerve threshold in the country has never been too high, let alone in wartime. The rare window of time, in which a huge part of the Israeli public is reexamining its political and security perceptions, will close sooner than expected, and Ben-Gvir does not have the luxury of missing it with the trolling, which is already painful at a sensitive time.
Will he take advantage of his positive momentum with more quiet work, or is the Tsumi instinct just stronger than him? Let's hope for him and for us that we will know the answer long before the war is over.
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