Netanyahu said to weigh depriving Ben Gvir of some of his powers, but won’t fire him

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering stripping National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of some of his authorities after the far-right firebrand led an ultimately unsuccessful push against a key budget-related bill promoted by the government, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

Kan and Channel 12 news say, though, that Netanyahu is unlikely to fire Ben Gvir anytime soon. The latter network cites estimations within the premier’s circle that Ben Gvir will instead be treated as a political rival who at some point will bolt the coalition and head to the opposition.

Kan cites associates of Ben Gvir saying the minister doesn’t fear being fired, and would even “be happy” with such a development.

Netanyahu was forced to rush out of hospital as he recovers from a prostate removal surgery, defying his doctors’ advice, to cast the deciding vote in a tight Knesset vote that saw almost all of Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit coalition party vote against the bill, as well as most of the Haredi Agudat Yisrael faction of United Torah Judaism stay away from the vote.

Ben Gvir has been voting against the coalition over his demand for a larger budget for the police force, which he oversees. Agudat Yisrael has engaged in a similar effort over frustration with the coalition’s refusal to pass legislation enshrining Haredi yeshiva students’ blanket exemptions from mandatory military service.