A controversial social media post by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has ignited an international firestorm, drawing more than 17 million views on X and prompting Iranian officials to use his comments as ammunition in their campaign against Israel following the deaths of four IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon.

The post came in the wake of a devastating incident in southern Lebanon in which four Israeli soldiers were killed, including Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimon, commander of the 52nd Armored Battalion. The attack is considered one of the deadliest events on the northern front since hostilities resumed.

At the time Ben Gvir made his remarks, the circumstances surrounding the incident were still under investigation. According to reports, Ben Shimon and three fellow armored corps soldiers were killed during operations in southern Lebanon, and the IDF continues to examine exactly what transpired.

Reacting to the tragedy, Ben Gvir wrote on X: “For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers should cry. All of Lebanon should burn.” He later said he had told Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu that “in the Middle East, victories are not achieved through measured responses and restraint,” and called for Israel to “defeat terrorism.”

The comments quickly spread across international media outlets and generated fierce reactions both in Israel and abroad.

X determined that the post violated the platform’s rules but chose not to remove it, citing its public significance and news value. Instead, the platform restricted visibility, requiring users to click through a warning screen before viewing the post.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was among the first foreign officials to capitalize on the controversy. He shared a screenshot of Ben Gvir’s post and argued that the statement was not the view of a fringe figure but that of a senior member of the Israeli government.

Araghchi accused Israel of pursuing a policy of “perpetual war,” using Ben Gvir’s remarks to support Tehran’s narrative against the Jewish state. His response highlighted how a domestic political controversy rapidly became part of a broader international propaganda battle amid escalating regional tensions.

{Matzav.com}