National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was required to appear at the US Embassy in Israel to submit his fingerprints as part of a visa request process, Channel 13 reported.
According to the report, the fingerprinting was performed as part of the standard procedure required to obtain a visa to the United States, as it is for all Israeli citizens seeking to enter the country.
The report noted that the request is puzzling as the minister possesses a diplomatic passport and is not meant to undergo the procedures that standard citizens go through.
In response to the report, Ben-Gvir stated that he chose not to use his status as a minister to ease the procedure. "Every Israeli citizen who requests a visa to the US must submit fingerprints. Minister Ben-Gvir is not elevated from the people, and since the majority of the trip is private, he chose not to take advantage of his status as a minister and requested a regular visa like all citizens."
The minister added that "instead of praising the minister for acting like any other person and not asking for special treatment, you are wondering why he didn't take advantage of his status. There is no limit to the persecution and attempts to turn everything into a headline."
According to the minister, the decision to request a regular visa was accepted due to the nature of the planned trip, which he claims is primarily private, and therefore, he preferred to go through the standard procedure that applies to all citizens.