Ben Gvir mulls quitting the government if overhaul halted; may back it from outside

Carrie Keller-Lynn is a former political and legal correspondent for The Times of Israel

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the Knesset in Jerusalem, March 27, 2023 (AP Photo/Maya Alerruzzo)
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the Knesset in Jerusalem, March 27, 2023 (AP Photo/Maya Alerruzzo)

A source close to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says that the far-right leader is “considering, generally,” quitting the government as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to freeze the coalition’s legislation curbing the judiciary.

Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party has said that stopping the judicial overhaul push now is “likely” to topple the coalition, but a spokesman for the party declines to say whether Otzma Yehudit itself will pull out.

According to some reports, while Ben Gvir is mulling quitting the coalition, his party could still support the government from the outside.

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