Ben-Gvir to Bring Far-right Settler, Once Jailed for Spying on the Israeli Army, to U.S. Delegation - Israel News - Haaretz.com
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is bringing a far-right activist, who was previously convicted of collecting military information and served several months in prison for this offense, as part of his entourage on his upcoming trip to the United States on April 21.
According to several sources, Ben-Gvir and his office are trying to organize several meetings in Washington, which would include Akiva Hacohen, an activist with a criminal record who was once monitored by the police and the Shin Bet security service, as a "public strategist" and "developer of national projects."
Akiva Hacohen at the Supreme Court of Justice in Jerusalem.Credit: Emil Salman
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Hacohen, 40, from the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar, was for years one of the primary targets of the Shin Bet's Jewish Division. In 2013, as part of a plea bargain, he was sentenced to three months in prison, which he served at Dekel Prison, for what was known as "the spies affair."
Hacohen and other right-wing activists reportedly established an "outpost war room," aimed at gathering information on Israeli army movements in the occupied territories to prevent the evacuation of illegal outposts.
The information that Hacohen collected was used to prepare "intelligence reports" whose purpose was to subvert military operations to dismantle illegal outposts in the northern West Bank. In one instance in December 2011, a bus full of right-wing activists arrived at the Ephraim Territorial Brigade base next to the settlement of Kedumim; the group broke into the base and rioted there.
Hacohen was ultimately convicted of gathering military intelligence, conspiring to incite a disturbance and conspiring to trespass on a military facility. The prosecution argued that Hacohen "committed serious offenses that harm the public interest and national security."
Israeli settlers in one so-called "price tag" operation in the West Bank village of Asira al-Qibliya.Credit: Majdi Mohammed/AP
In its opinion opposing Hacohen's request for early release, the prosecution wrote that Hacohen's actions "harm the sovereignty of the State of Israel and its authority to legally make political decisions... actions that harm the government's character and pose a security danger."
Hacohen had 10 prior convictions, including one for assault with aggravating circumstances in 2005, after he and another individual assaulted an elderly Palestinian man in the northern West Bank. In addition, he was convicted for assaulting and obstructing a police officer, being in possession of brass knuckles, involvement in an unlawful gathering and conduct liable to disrupt the public peace.
In 2005, he was sentenced to two months of community service. Hacohen also had restraining orders issued against him due to the Shin Bet's position that he was involved in "price tag" attacks. In recent years, the Shin Bet has regarded him as a target for intelligence operations.
Hacohen's son is currently under administrative house arrest because of his involvement in so-called "price tag" attacks, according to the Shin Bet.
Ben-Gvir is scheduled to visit Miami, New York and Washington. This will be his first trip as minister outside of Israel, now that the White House has lifted its boycott of him. It was initially planned to be on behalf of his Otzma Yehudit party.
This is why he added Hacohen, who was born in the United States and is fluent in English, and Yishai Fleisher, Ben-Gvir's "adviser on international affairs." Fleisher is also the English-language spokesman for the Jewish settlement in Hebron and frequently appears on social media.
In May 2023, his Twitter account was blocked for several days after he proposed that terrorists be tossed into the sea. According to several sources, Ben-Gvir wants Fleisher and Hacohen to join him for the official meetings his office and Israeli Embassy staff in Washington are trying to organize.
Hacohen is described as a "developer of national projects" and a "public strategist," spearheading various projects connected with internal security, settlements and agriculture. Ben-Gvir's close ties with Hacohen stem from his far-right activism and his efforts as a minister to assist Hacohen's son, who is currently under administrative detention.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a news conference last week in Washington.Credit: Alex Brandon/AP
Haaretz has learned that U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem does not plan to meet with her Israeli counterpart, Ben-Gvir, during his visit to the United States, despite his spokesperson stating that a meeting was expected. Under the Biden administration, Ben-Gvir was essentially boycotted.
Israeli daily Ma'ariv was the first to report on the upcoming visit; according to the report, Ben-Gvir received an invitation from his American "counterparts."
However, Haaretz has learned that Noem's schedule does not show a planned meeting with Ben-Gvir. The minister's office announced that the timetable for his U.S. trip will be published in the coming days, and diplomatic meetings are scheduled during the visit.