Otzma Yehudit has launched a nationwide advertising campaign ahead of the October 7 anniversary, declaring that the Hamas massacre would not have happened had party chairman Itamar Ben Gvir been defense minister.
Hundreds of advertisements and billboards have been placed in city centers, at major intersections and on buses. They feature Ben Gvir’s photograph alongside the party’s ballot letter, ב׳, and the slogan: “If he had been defense minister—October 7 would not have happened.”
The advertisements also highlight statements Ben Gvir made before the massacre, including his warning that “Israel is captive to a misconception” and his calls to decisively defeat the enemy.
The party says the campaign underscores Ben Gvir’s warnings before the Hamas attack and his position that Israel should have pursued a tougher policy against its enemies.
Responding to criticism of the campaign, Ben Gvir accused his opponents on the left of dismissing those warnings.
“I see the whining from the left following the signs Otzma Yehudit put up this morning,” he said. “It only reinforces for me that deep down, they too know the truth.”
Ben Gvir said that when he demanded targeted eliminations before October 7, critics argued that he lacked the necessary understanding because he had never been an IDF general.
“When I cried out that Israel was captive to a misconception and that we needed to defeat the enemy, they mocked me and said I didn’t understand what I was talking about,” he said.
“Even now, they will shout and attack. They will talk—and we will work,” Ben Gvir added.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
