Itamar Ben Gvir Demands Dismissal of State Attorney as Condition for Joining Next Israeli Government

Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's National Security Minister and leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday setting a firm condition for his party's participation in the next government. Ben Gvir demands the immediate removal of State Attorney Gali Baharav-Miara once the new government is formed. In the letter titled "Threshold Condition for Otzma Yehudit's Entry into the Next Government, Dismissal of the State Attorney," Ben Gvir recalled that he had previously requested Baharav-Miara's dismissal early in the current government's term, but Netanyahu had responded that Ben Gvir was a "young minister" and that such actions were not how things are done.

Ben Gvir now argues that Baharav-Miara's conduct over the years has proven the necessity of her removal. He accuses her of acting against government policies and attempting to thwart initiatives promoted by the government. He further alleges that she used the Police Investigations Department against senior officials, including Israel Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yakobi and Police Commander Avishai Moalem. Additionally, Ben Gvir claims she tried to block the appointments of generals David Zini and Roman Gofman to head the Shin Bet and Mossad intelligence agencies, respectively. These are allegations made by Ben Gvir in his letter and have not been legally adjudicated.

Ben Gvir also addressed a recent attempt to remove him from his ministerial post via a petition to the Supreme Court, asserting that the move was made without any investigation or indictment against him.