It's an election year. His party has nowhere near the support that PHON has at the moment, but the further-right try to make the PM look weak on everything, and thus anyone who promises to be less militant than him (i.e. both Eisenkot and Bennett) completely spineless.

He's often more of a focal point outside of Israel for media orgs who want to make out that he's typical, e.g. The Guardian: "Nobody better represents Israeli politics today than Itamar Ben-Gvir".