# Ben-Gvir Event Disrupted by Protesters at Tel Aviv University

> Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was forced off stage by protesting students at Tel Aviv University on October 18, 2026, nine days before national elections.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-20T10:13:55.791058Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/ben-gvir-event-disrupted-by-protesters-at-tel-aviv-university-c413537d

On October 18, 2026, protesting students significantly disrupted an event featuring Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at Tel Aviv University, forcing him off stage [1][5][6]. The incident occurred nine days before Israel's general elections on October 27, 2026 [8]. This confrontation highlights deep ideological divisions within Israeli society over hardline policies and the boundaries of freedom of expression [1][7]. Recent polls show increased support for Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party, extending to younger, urban voters, making the event a key moment in the election cycle [16][17].

## What the records show

As Minister Ben-Gvir took the stage at Tel Aviv University, activists began to chant "There will be no fascism here" and "Fascism will not pass" to prevent his speech [1][4]. Some protesters also shouted "Fascist, get out of here!" and several lay on the floor near the stage [4][5]. A smaller group of Ben-Gvir's supporters responded with chants of "Death to Arabs" [1]. The phrase "Death to Arabs" is an anti-Arab slogan used during protests and civil disturbances in Israel [1][12]. The disruption escalated into scuffles between protesters and security personnel, which led to Ben-Gvir's departure from the stage [5][6]. After the event, the activists released a statement claiming success in preventing the "convicted terror supporter" from speaking on their campus [2]. They stated, "People like this are not welcome at the university. He is not legitimate here or anywhere else," and called on voters to "kick him and the Kahanists out of the government" in the upcoming elections [2].

## The timeline

Itamar Ben-Gvir has served as Israel's National Security Minister since 2022, with a two-month break in early 2025 [10][11]. He leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, party [10]. His political background is rooted in Kahanism, a movement described as racist and advocating for the expulsion of Palestinians [18]. Ben-Gvir has multiple convictions for incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organization [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. The event on October 18, 2026, took place shortly before Israel's general elections on October 27, 2026 [8].

## What Ben-Gvir said publicly

During the protest, Ben-Gvir addressed the students, questioning their commitment to democracy. He stated mockingly, "I thought you were in favour of democracy. Democracy means letting the other side speak too" [1][4]. Ben-Gvir used the platform to reiterate his hardline stance on Gaza, stating his desire to "conquer all of Gaza" and insisting that Hamas must not remain in the territory [3][9]. He claimed Hamas made no distinction between left and right during the October 7, 2023, attack, seeking to kill Israelis "because we're Jews" [3]. He also called for support for his Otzma Yehudit party to form a stronger right-wing government [9]. Some observers consider his remarks incendiary, making it more difficult to defend Israel [13].

## What we could not confirm

The precise number of protesters and counter-protesters involved in the disruption is not specified [1]. The exact duration Ben-Gvir remained on stage before being forced to leave is also not detailed [5].

## Evidence cited
1. Protesters disrupt Ben-Gvir event forcing him off stage (www.aljazeera.com) — https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/10/18/protesters-disrupt-ben-gvir-event-forcing-him-off-stage?traffic_source=rss
2. Far-left activists disrupt Ben Gvir speech at Tel Aviv University (israelnationalnews.com) — https://israelnationalnews.com/news/410313
3. Protests disrupt Ben Gvir interview as far-right minister asks, 'What happened to democracy?' (timesofisrael.com) — https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/protests-disrupt-ben-gvir-interview-as-far-right-minister-asks-what-happened-to-democracy/
4. 'Fascism won't pass': Israeli students disrupt university event hosting Itamar Ben Gvir as speaker (youtube.com) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYJ7Zl-pE7w
5. Israeli Protesters Disrupt Ben-Gvir Event, Scuffle With Police in Tel Aviv | AC13 (youtube.com) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3x0K40xP0Y
6. Protesters disrupt Ben Gvir event forcing him off stage - Al Jazeera (penblock.com) — https://www.penblock.com/news/protesters-disrupt-ben-gvir-event-forcing-him-off-stage-al-jazeera/
7. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Event at Tel Aviv University Marred by Protests (desinews.co.uk) — https://www.desinews.co.uk/israeli-national-security-minister-itamar-ben-gvirs-event-at-tel-aviv-university-marred-by-protests/
8. 'NO FASCISM HERE': Ben Gvir Heckled As Anti-War Demonstrators Target Netanyahu Ahead Of Elections | International - Times of India Videos (indiatimes.com) — https://www.indiatimes.com/videos/international/no-fascism-here-ben-gvir-heckled-as-anti-war-demonstrators-target-netanyahu-ahead-of-elections-61569426
9. Israel's Ben Gvir Calls for Full Gaza Takeover and Dismantling of Palestinian Authority | AC1N (youtube.com) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R-aJ83x4Kk
10. Itamar Ben-Gvir - Wikipedia (wikipedia.org) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itamar_Ben-Gvir
11. Itamar Ben-Gvir | Biography, Politics, & Facts (britannica.com) — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Itamar-Ben-Gvir
12. Death to Arabs - Wikipedia (wikipedia.org) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_to_Arabs
13. Diaspora Jewish leaders to Israeli officials: Your policies make it hard to defend Israel (jta.org) — https://www.jta.org/2026/10/18/israel/diaspora-jewish-leaders-to-israeli-officials-your-policies-make-it-hard-to-defend-israel
14. Israel elections 2026: An interactive guide (aljazeera.com) — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/20/israel-elections-2026-interactive-guide
15. Instagram post by @channel_insight (instagram.com) — https://www.instagram.com/p/DBh8wNbyh1x/
16. Israel's far-right minister Ben-Gvir finds new support among youth voters (wtaq.com) — https://www.wtaq.com/2026/10/20/israels-far-right-minister-ben-gvir-finds-new-support-among-youth-voters/
17. Israel's far-right minister Ben-Gvir finds new support among youth voters (thearabweekly.com) — https://www.thearabweekly.com/israels-far-right-minister-ben-gvir-finds-new-support-among-youth-voters
18. Itamar Ben-Gvir » IMEU (imeu.org) — https://imeu.org/topic/entry/itamar-ben-gvir
19. Convicted right-wing activist Itamar Ben-Gvir of support for a terror organization and incitement to racism. (jpost.com) — https://jpost.com/
20. Itamar Ben-Gvir convicted eight times for racism and supporting terrorist organization (apnews.com) — https://apnews.com/
21. Ben-Gvir has convictions for incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organisation (aljazeera.com) — https://aljazeera.com/
22. Ben Gvir convicted of incitement to racism and supporting a terror organization (timesofisrael.com) — https://timesofisrael.com/
23. Itamar Ben-Gvir convicted of incitement to racism and support for a terrorist organization in 2007 (elpais.com) — https://elpais.com/
24. Ben-Gvir has convictions that include incitement to racism, identifying with a terrorist organization (aa.com.tr) — https://aa.com.tr/
25. Ben-Gvir has been convicted eight times for offences that include racism and supporting a terrorist organisation. (trtworld.com) — https://trtworld.com/
26. Ben-Gvir convicted multiple times of supporting a terrorist organization and inciting racism against Palestinians (imeu.org) — https://imeu.org/