One thing has to be admitted in the case of Itamar Ben Gvir, he’s not stupid and he knows how to let his tongue run free. In addition, he wears his heart on his sleeve and knows better than his Knesset colleagues how to address people directly and openly.

The leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party has become so accepted in Israeli society that he is even invited to left-leaning kibbutzim to present his political agenda ahead of next week’s election. The allegedly “racist” politician is welcomed into communities that were once the heart of socialist and liberal Israel. However, the 46-year-old is not just any “racist” gun nut. He lives with his family in Hebron and was involved in countless criminal proceedings, ultimately being convicted “only” eight times.

But a lot of what he says rings true.

I hear from many who say they want to vote for Ben Gvir, but can’t bring themselves to do so. That’s the thing with him. When I last met Ben Gvir in the Jerusalem vegetable market, I pointed out that his shoelaces were untied. “Watch out, you’re tripping my friend.” He looked at the ground, said, “Thank you, righteous one,” and knelt down and tied his laces. We stumbled into conversation, and Ben Gvir kept explaining to me why he is the only game changer in Israeli politics. It’s true, he is a political phenomenon that you either love or hate. Everyone is talking about him and he will be the surprise of the upcoming election, for better or worse. It depends who you ask.

See related: Who’s Afraid of Itamar Ben-Gvir?

Ben Gvir with admirers are Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehudah market. Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Itamar Ben Gvir speaks directly and to the point, which strikes a chord with many people:

“You are entitled to security!”

“The death penalty for terrorists.”

“The Temple Mount is ours and we don’t need to ask an Arab whether or not we can enter our holy place.”

“We have lost control of the desert: the Bedouins do whatever they want in the south. We’ll put an end to that.”

He sees most Arab members of the Knesset as representatives of Palestinian terror. If he were in power, he would have sent them to Syria or the Gaza Strip. “We must give our soldiers our full backing and not abandon them when they carelessly injure or shoot Palestinians,” he says. “The soldiers are our children and guarantee our security.”

Ben Gvir often quotes from the Talmud: “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.” And he stands firm on the idea that “Eretz Israel was promised to the people of Israel and not to the Arabs, and that’s why we must not give up.” This is well received and moves hearts, not only in right-wing and religious circles, but all over the country. He definitely comes across as someone who genuinely cares about Israel. He knows this and can say it in the right vocabulary, soundly and bravely in front of the camera. And the young people in the country love that.

Many of my acquaintances vote for Ben Gvir and none of them come from a right-wing ideological background. But this Itamar moves them. According to all polls in the country, his party alliance with right-wing colleague Bezalel Smotrich will become the third largest faction in Knesset. His political opponents are very afraid of that. How did it come about that a “racist and fascist” became so popular with the electorate? He is said to be a threat to Israel’s democracy. In a right-wing coalition with the Likud and Benjamin Netanyahu, he would be entitled to an important ministerial post. Justice or maybe internal security. “The Arabs must be afraid of us and tremble, otherwise they will do what they want with us,” says Ben Gvir.

Washington, on the other hand, has made it clear to Israel that it will not tolerate Ben Gvir as a minister in any government. But Israelis, not the Americans, get to decide this. Meanwhile, Netanyahu too is wary of being seen with a “racist” at his side, and dodged being on the same stage recently with Ben Gvir, eliciting frustration from the latter. “I didn’t deserve that, after all, Bibi has to sit with me in the Knesset,” Ben Gvir explained.

Itamar could become the new star of Israeli politics.

In the foreign media, Itamar Ben Gvir is consistently portrayed as a modern-day Israeli version of an American white supremacist or a European fascist. A few days ago, in an interview with Kanal13, he said that he would like to set up an emigration ministry and convince the Palestinians to leave the country voluntarily. “Europe,” declared Ben Gvir, “is in dire need of workers.”

This, of course, angered the Arabs, and along with the left, they condemned the lawmaker. How would Jews in Europe react if a European politician set up an emigration ministry for Jews? Inconceivable. But the point is that Jews in Europe are not calling for the annihilation of their host Christian nations. The Palestinians, including most Arabs in Knesset, do want to see Israel fall.

And that annoys some of the people in the country. Itamar Ben Gvir is very gifted at getting his finger on the pulse. Everyone is talking about him in the media and on social networks. I as well. As I said, I like Itamar, but he also annoys me. I agree with him on many things, and disagree on many things. He looks like a simple man, dresses rather informally, but works around the clock and is a political and media mastermind. Friends of mine say they wish they had a cute teddy bear like Itamar on the political left.