On Tuesday night, the cabinet unanimously approved the appointment of Itamar Ben Gvir as Minister of National Security, along with the reappointments of Otzma Yehudit MKs Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Amichai Eliyahu as ministers. The decision was made despite opposition from AG Gali Baharav-Miara, who warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Ben Gvir’s appointment should be delayed until the claims against his tenure were resolved.
Ahead of the reappointments, five citizens and the Movement for Strengthening Tolerance in Religious Education filed a petition with the High Court of Justice yesterday, seeking an injunction against Ben Gvir’s becoming Minister of National Security. Attorney Gilad Barnea, representing the petitioners, argued that Ben Gvir’s reappointment should be halted due to his blatant interference in police activities. However, Judge Dafna Barak-Erez declined to issue an interim order at this stage and instructed Ben Gvir, the government, and the Attorney General to respond to the petitioners’ claims in the coming days.
Otzma Yehudit withdrew from the coalition following the signing of a hostage agreement with Hamas. In its resignation statement, the faction declared: “In light of the approval of the reckless agreement with the terrorist organization Hamas, which includes the release of hundreds of murderers responsible for the bloodshed of men, women, and children—some of whom are being released to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria—while undermining the IDF’s achievements in the war, withdrawing IDF forces from the Gaza Strip, and halting military operations in Gaza, this agreement constitutes a surrender to Hamas.”
Now, with the resumption of intense fighting, Otzma Yehudit has reached an agreement with the Likud party and will return to the Israeli government.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who originally appointed AG Baharav-Miara, sharply criticized her during the cabinet meeting, stating: “In searching for an apt metaphor for the AG’s eagerness to undermine the government, I was reminded of the kamikaze pilots of World War II, who carried out suicide attacks on enemy targets. What we are witnessing is the self-destruction of the AG in her attempt to harm the government.”
Ben Gvir’s reappointment is set to undergo a High Court review in a hearing scheduled for April 7. A petition submitted by 48 petitioners calls for his removal on the grounds that he acted in violation of the law. The state requested to dismiss the petition, arguing that it had become redundant following Ben Gvir’s resignation. However, the court declined to cancel the hearing.
Baharav-Miara hinted in a letter to Netanyahu that she would oppose Ben-Gvir’s reappointment in the High Court. Following the minister’s resignation, the Attorney General wrote to Netanyahu, stating: “As you consider appointing MK Ben-Gvir as a member of the government in the future, an examination of the relevant factual infrastructure will be required.”
