Itamar Ben Gvir's political clout has skyrocketed since joining prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition four years ago. (EPA Images pic)JERUSALEM: A turbo-charged election campaign by Israel's far-right national security minister has seen gun-shaped keychains distributed to high school students and a promotional video threatening to "put to death" a Palestinian inmate.

His policy pledges include encouraging Palestinians to leave the occupied West Bank and war-ravaged Gaza, as well as enforcing the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis.

Days ahead of polls which many Israelis consider crucial to deciding the future character of their country, the divisive influence of Itamar Ben Gvir - once considered a provocateur on Israel's extremist fringes - shows no sign of dimming.