Coalition members slam High Court for hearing petition to remove Ben Gvir

Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition accuse the High Court of undermining Israeli democracy by holding a hearing to consider petitions demanding the removal of ultra-nationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Today is “a sad day for democracy,” coalition whip Ofir Katz (Likud) posts on X, arguing that today’s hearing, “which should not have taken place at all, makes clear to us the dangers inherent in the strengthening of the deep state,” echoing repeated claims by Netanyahu that an unelected cabal of officials is exercising illegitimate state power and is out to thwart him.

“In the current case, we see a panel of nine judges discussing without cause the dismissal of a minister who was legally elected and who is serving legally. We see an attorney general and the head of the Shin Bet joining forces to locate materials against a political echelon,” Katz continues, likely referring to unsubstantiated claims by Ben Gvir that the security agency is spying on politicians.

“The deep state is trying to take power, trying to take away the voter’s decision from you. We cannot let this happen. No matter what the decision is, Ben Gvir will remain minister, as the public wants,” he says echoing a statement from Justice Minister Yariv Levin that the government would ignore any order to remove Ben Gvir.

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party also slams the court for holding a hearing on Ben Gvir’s dismissal, stating that the very fact it is engaged in such deliberations “on political grounds” is “absurd and a symbol of the loss of restraint and the trampling of democracy by the justices of the High Court.”

“The authority to appoint and dismiss ministers is given by law only to the prime minister. The court has no authority to discuss this, and it should have rejected the petition outright,” Shas says.