National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused his political and ideological opponents of deliberately misrepresenting his positions on the prevention of terrorism in Judea and Samaria as racist.

"This is how fake news is spread: I said yesterday on a TV broadcast that the right of Jews to live and not be murdered in terror attacks prevails over the right of Arabs in Judea and Samaria to travel on the roads without security restrictions. That is why checkpoints should be placed on roads where regular terrorism and shooting by Jihadists are committed against Jews," Ben-Gvir's said in a statement released by his office Thursday evening.

"But the Israeli radical Left selectively cut a section out of my statement, purposefully misquoted even that, and removed the context in order to slander me as if I had made a racist declaration that Jews deserve more civil rights than Arabs.

"This is exactly how the Left continues to fan the flames of incitement in the world against the Israeli government. Because of their cynical strategy, we are now witness to a surge of Israel haters attacking me and the State of Israel. The Left continues to cause harm to the State, just as they have hurt the economy, our social cohesion, and the IDF over the course of the last 8 months. Shame on them!" Ben-Gvir's statement concluded.

Last night, Ben-Gvir said in an interview with Channel 12 News: "“My right, and my wife’s and my children’s right, to get around on the roads in Judea and Samaria is more important than the right to movement for Arabs."

"My right to life comes before their right to movement,” he added.

Ben-Gvir's remarks were condemned by the opposition. Yesh Atid MK Karine Elharar said in response that the minister was "the authentic representative of the most racist, messianic, and Kahanist government we’ve ever had.”