Netanyahu Defies Supreme Court, Refuses to Dismiss National Security Minister Ben Gvir

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted another response to the Supreme Court petitions seeking to remove National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from office. This follows the failure of negotiations between Ben Gvir and the Attorney General regarding a framework for his continued role. Netanyahu’s response raises the possibility that he may be the first prime minister to refuse compliance with a Supreme Court ruling lacking clear legal basis.

In his submission, Netanyahu stated that after careful consideration and detailed input from Ben Gvir about the incidents cited in the petitions, there is no change in his position that Ben Gvir’s appointment was lawful and that no grounds exist for his administrative or judicial removal. Netanyahu emphasized that Ben Gvir respects police independence and that the absence of finalized protocols governing his interaction with the police does not justify disqualification.

The prime minister further argued that the issue is non-justiciable and criticized Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara for exaggerating events and referencing unrelated incidents to justify the minister’s dismissal. Ben Gvir welcomed Netanyahu’s clear response, accusing the Attorney General of overreach and asserting that deep state officials have no authority to remove ministers. He vowed that after the elections, they would remove the deep state officials instead.