Israel’s Deep State Is Panicking

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AN ocean separates the Middle East’s sole democracy from the world’s only superpower — and not just in the literal sense.

Even before Trump takes office, the American civil service is falling in line, including the justice system. His legal cases are being closed, the prosecutors are resigning, and some of his foes are talking about leaving the country — a familiar threat to Israeli ears….

But in Israel, the power struggles rage on. When the government was formed in December 2022, few would have believed that Itamar Ben-Gvir, perceived as a blowhard with zero government or managerial experience, would become the terror of the Israeli deep state, rather than Binyamin Netanyahu or Justice Minister Yariv Levin.

When he entered office, Levin seemed like the deep state’s worst nightmare — he was Mr. Clean, an austere, unassuming figure who wouldn’t be tempted by cigars and champagne, and therefore couldn’t be kept in check through investigations. But two years in, with Levin’s judicial reform agenda stalled on all fronts, Itamar Ben-Gvir has emerged as the right government’s most effective minister, having broken the left’s hold on the police force.