From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Ben Gvir says High Court ‘wants to fire the nation’ after order about his potential sacking
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir accuses the High Court of Justice of seeking to nullify the will of the voters after it orders Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to explain why he has not fired the far-right politician from his ministerial role.
“The High Court of Justice doesn’t just want to fire me, it wants to fire the nation, it wants to fire millions of voters and deprive them of the right to vote,” Ben Gvir declares in a video statement. “It won’t happen, they have no authority, there won’t be a coup!”
The court issued its order to Netanyahu following a filing last month from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara saying the far-right minister systematically abuses his powers. It gave the premier and Ben Gvir until March 10 to submit a response.
Ben Gvir, who oversees the Israel Police, has asked the court to reject petitions seeking his dismissal. He has repeatedly clashed with Baharav-Miara, who has accused him of improperly interfering in police investigations and appointments. She also says he has violated an agreement he reached with her that is meant to limit his powers.
The court order is also denounced by Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, who is quoted by the Ynet news site telling a conference that ordering the termination of a serving minister who is not under criminal investigation crosses a “red line” and that such a ruling would constitute “a clearly illegal order.”
Fuchs also accuses the court of eroding the separation of powers, and the Attorney General’s Office of acting as “almost a fourth” branch of government.
The Times of Israel Community.