Netanyahu urges High Court to reject ‘unconstitutional’ attempt to order him to fire Ben Gvir

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urges justices to reject what he calls an “unconstitutional attempt to dismiss a minister in Israel” in a High Court filing on petitions for the dismissal of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

A nine-justice panel is set to hear the petitions on Wednesday, after a hearing on the matter was postponed due to war with Iran.

“Accepting the petition would indicate that the court is, in practice, assigning itself an active and significant role in the political arena without any legal authority,” Netanyahu’s response to the court reads.

The petitioners are urging the court to order Netanyahu to fire Ben Gvir over what they claim is the minister’s unlawful interference in police investigations, promotions and the policing of protests, which the petitioners say undermine the independence of law enforcement.

The petitions gained the backing of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara last year. She had come to an agreement with Ben Gvir meant to curb his influence over police’s decision making, but it fell through after he consistently violated its terms.

Netanyahu argues that the High Court “has no constitutional right to dismiss a government minister due to the substance of his role, the way he acts within his ministry and in the name of his administrative decisions.”

“The honorable court is asked to respect the government’s sovereignty, to reject the petitions, to cancel the order on the given condition and avoid serious harm to the separation of powers,” the filing reads.