Activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir said that they were planning on conducting a tour of the Bedouin town of Rahat Friday – and that they were not intimidated by threats being made against them, including threats by MK Ibrahim Zarzur, who warned them to stay away from the town. Marzel, Ben Gvir, and MK Michael Ben Ari, for whom Ben Gvir is a parliamentary aide, announced the trip a month ago. The three said they would be searching for evidence of illegal Arab building in the town.
Ben Gvir and Marzel said that police had authorized the tour, although the route was still subject to discussion. Regardless, they said, they intended to go on the tour. "We will not let criminals manage the affairs of the state, building illegally wherever they want, as if this was the wild west. We will conduct a tour in Rahat just like we did in Um el-Faham."