Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has a long history as a provocateur. The 50-year-old has been convicted eight times for offenses including racism and supporting a terrorist organization.
Ben-Gvir's rise to power began in his youth, where he followed the radical rabbi Meir Kahane and was banned from compulsory military service due to his extreme views.
He gained notoriety in 1995 for breaking a hood ornament off then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's car and orchestrating a campaign of protests that forced Irish singer Sinead O'Connor to cancel a concert for peace in Jerusalem.
Ben-Gvir has called for deporting his political opponents and has encouraged police to take a tough line against anti-government protesters.
As national security minister, he has overseen the country's police force and encouraged Netanyahu to press ahead with the war in Gaza.
