Israel's National Guard Raises Concerns Over Political Use of Force.

Israel's government has given its support for the creation of a 2,000-strong "national guard" force, which critics fear could be used as a "private army" to suppress opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition. The force will be controlled by ultranationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and will be tasked with handling "nationalist crime," terrorism, and "restoring governance where needed." The resolution proposing the force has been met with condemnation from opposition leaders and former police chiefs, who warn of the risk of a "coup" and the "Balkanization of Israel."