Judge says ordering Ben Gvir’s dismissal would be ‘most extreme step,’ but doesn’t reject possibility outright

High Court Justice Alex Stein calls the prospect of ordering the prime minister to fire National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir “the most extreme step” as judges hear petitioners lay out their case for his dismissal.

“This request, and I’m not rejecting it out of hand, but it is certainly not trivial,” says Stein.

“No country in the world has a mechanism that allows a court to dismiss a minister from his position. It very much could be that this is what must happen here — maybe, maybe not, we must consider it — but we should also be aware that this is the most extreme step,” he continues.

A lawyer representing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who has endorsed the petitions, calls Ben Gvir’s case “much more grave” than that of Shas leader Aryeh Deri, who was removed as cabinet minister after the High Court deemed his appointment “unreasonable in the extreme” due to his history of criminal convictions.

Petitioners argue that Ben Gvir’s history of public statements and alleged illicit intervention in police promotions and decision-making have undermined the force’s independence to the benefit of his political agenda.

“This is at the heart of the court’s role — human rights, police independence, basic values… What is happening right now is a blow to democracy, it’s happening before our eyes,” says Shosh Shmueli, representing the attorney general.

Earlier in the hearing, the court seemed poised to suggest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ben Gvir and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara enter talks to reach a framework of principles meant to curb his influence over the police.

A similar framework between Ben Gvir and Baharav-Miara fell apart last year and she has accused him of violating the agreement repeatedly.