Washington: Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived in the US on Monday for his first official visit since he joined the Benjamin Netanyahu government in 2022. A statement by Ben-Gvir's office announced that the minister would visit several states and engage with representatives of the Jewish community, as well as US officials, during his trip. The duration of the visit was not disclosed.

According to Anadolu Agency, the former US administration of Joe Biden had previously boycotted Ben-Gvir due to his anti-peace rhetoric and incitement to violence against Palestinians, alongside his support for settlement building in the occupied territories. Ben-Gvir's visit comes in the wake of a similar boycott faced by Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich under Biden. However, Smotrich managed to visit Washington in February under the Trump administration.

Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are regarded as among the most extreme figures in Netanyahu's government, known for their anti-Palestinian rhetoric and public calls for the expulsion of Palestinians from their land. Both ministers have openly supported settler violence against Palestinians and their properties in the occupied West Bank. Such attacks have seen a dramatic escalation since the onset of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023.