How Ben-Gvir's Son Is Influencing Israel's Next Generation of Extremists on TikTok
Shuvael Ben-Gvir, the son of Israel's far-right national security minister, seems to have cracked the code to viral success: a precise mixture of consistent social media uproar, opposition to protesters for a Gaza cease-fire and criticism of his father's political enemies
One doesn't have to agree with him to understand that Shuvael is gaining traction online.Credit: Screenshot from Shuvael Ben-Gvir on Twitter.
In the eyes of many adults – and I'm referring to those elderly people over age 30 – TikTok is the Wild West of frenetic videos and strange trends, an impenetrable space dominated by young people. But the scandalous Israeli TikTok star of the moment isn't an amazing dancer, a talented cook or a beloved gamer. It's Shuvael Ben-Gvir, the son of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The young Ben-Gvir, the eldest of six children, will soon celebrate his 19th birthday, and says he's about to be drafted into the air force. He's been spending the past few months posting video clips (and lately tweets as well, for those too old to deal with TikTok), which are slowly spreading the tradition of his father's extreme Otzma Yehudit party to the younger generation.
One doesn't have to agree with his political and personal opinions to see that he's an influencer who has gained clear traction, even if it's based mainly on social media scandals without much content beyond that. Shuvael also manages his father's official TikTok account, but in effect the two accounts are very similar – both he and his father express their opposition to the Israeli left and ongoing demonstrations for the release of the hostages, as well as political rivals. Shuvael uses his private TikTok account mainly to defend his father.
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Shuvael has amassed over 46,000 followers since joining the platform, and his profile has over 1 million likes. His videos elicit reactions ranging from insults to outpourings of admiration for him and his father. "What a hunk you are," commented a follower in response to an angry video opposing protests for a hostage release deal, adding, "the son of a king." "Like your father, what a hotshot," said another about a video clip in which Shuvael tells his side of the incident in which the elder Ben-Gvir was hit with a clump of sand while at the beach.
Shuvael admits that his presence on social media can cause firestorms, which he seemingly uses to his advantage, but his posts have also landed him in hot water. Last February, for example, he implied in a tweet that U.S. President Joe Biden is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, even tagging the president's official X account. A few hours later, his father was forced to publish an apology and distance himself from his son's words.
This incident didn't prevent Shuvael from continuing with this behavior. Streaming live on TikTok in May after a demonstration for the release of the hostages that deteriorated into violence, Shuvael claimed that "The police should have come with cudgels and beat them [protesters] up." In another live broadcast in August, Shuvael defended his father after followers called him a criminal. "Because he blocked a highway? That's what you've been doing here for half a year, clowns," he said, referring to protests for a hostage release deal and cease-fire which have blocked the central highway in Tel Aviv. It should be noted that Itamar Ben-Gvir has 13 criminal convictions and 79 convictions for traffic offenses.
For some, young Shuvael's media presence brings to mind Yair Netanyahu, and for good reason – both are "the sons of," both have opinions identical to those of their fathers (or even more extreme) and echo them, and both have a presence on social media. But whereas Prime Minister Netanyahu's son focuses his activity on Telegram, apparently because most of the "older" lovers of politics and news can still be found there, Shuvael posts mainly on TikTok and X.
It's an interesting strategic decision that caters to two different audiences, each important in its own way. On the one hand is an audience of high school students and young adults on TikTok – those who still don't have the right to vote or received it only recently. With the help of short, punchy videos young Ben-Gvir manages to convey hawkish and, some would say, provocative, political messages.
On the other hand is the older and more political crowd on X, where Shuvael has made a reputation for himself as an edgy figure through tweets that time and again elicit harsh reactions.
At the end of last week, in response to the detention of three women who distributed flyers calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas in a Herzliya synagogue, Shuvael tweeted that his father was convicted of terrorism due to his distribution of flyers. It should be mentioned that this was a knowing manipulation of the facts. After all, the flyers that Itamar Ben-Gvir distributed at the time were those of the extreme right-wing party and terror organization Kach, which are considered illegal propaganda materials.
Even if one doesn't agree with his opinions, Shuvael comes off as smart and calculated. But his various video clips and tweets raise questions as to whether his social media presence comes from a personal desire to make political statements or is the result of an uncompromising education at home. One shouldn't forget that he grew up in a West Bank settlement in a family with a strong right-wing bent.
It's possible that behind the provocative figure on TikTok is the real Shuvael – a young man wanting to live the ordinary life of a teenager on TikTok, who, along with soccer and having a good time, also loves his father dearly. It's also possible that we're witnessing the rise of the next extremist politician.