Ben Gvir demands role of defense minister in next government, Gotliv as justice minister

Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben Gvir declares that his far-right party will demand the Defense Ministry for himself and the Justice Ministry for No. 2 Tally Gotliv in the next government, unveiling plans to “encourage” Palestinians to leave Gaza and the West Bank, immediately fire the attorney general, loosen constraints on the military and radically constrain judicial power and independence.

The sweeping platforms would hand the two prospective ministers direct authority over institutions they have spent years seeking to radically reshape: Ben Gvir through his advocacy for the removal of Palestinians and fewer constraints on the use of military force, and Gotliv through her campaign to weaken the judiciary and attorney general, two of the sole checks on executive power in Israel.

Ben Gvir’s security platform includes “encouraging voluntary emigration” of Palestinians, “disarming” the Palestinian Authority, while changing the IDF’s rules of engagement and ethics code, authored by philosopher Asa Kasher, which Otzma Yehudit criticizes as “progressive.”

Earlier this month, Ben Gvir unveiled a detailed plan aimed at removing 1.86 million Palestinians — the vast majority of Gaza’s population — from the Strip within seven years through what he terms “voluntary emigration” and what is decried by critics as ethnic cleansing.

Gotliv’s justice platform calls for immediately firing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara upon formation of the next government and requiring Supreme Court nominees to undergo Knesset hearings and win approval from two-thirds of the Constitution Committee.

The government voted last year to fire Baharav-Miara but the move was annulled by the High Court.

Gotliv also proposes restricting the High Court’s powers, and abolishing the judicial candidate evaluation course, which Otzma Yehudit calls a tool of the “judicial junta.”