The government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted an initial preliminary response to the Supreme Court regarding the petitions seeking the dismissal of National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir from his position.
In his response, the Prime Minister claimed that the authority to dismiss a minister is granted only to the Prime Minister according to Basic Law: The Government, and that the court and the Attorney General are unauthorized to do so.
It was further argued that Ben Gvir’s tenure does not contradict the framework of principles established regarding the relationship between the minister and the police.
In its response, the state criticized the conduct of the Attorney General, arguing that she had approached the court directly with claims of the minister’s violation of the framework, without first addressing the prime minister. The response stated: “Such conduct by the Attorney General is unacceptable… There is no reason to schedule a hearing on the petitions before a proper process is held with the prime minister.”
Addressing the examples cited in the Attorney General’s submission, regarding police appointments, the minister’s public statements, and the publication of policy on demonstrations, the state argued that these do not justify the dismissal of a minister from office. At most, it claimed, these are administrative decisions that can be reviewed individually under judicial scrutiny, but they do not constitute grounds for termination of tenure.
In conclusion, the state requested that the petitions be dismissed outright due to lack of legal grounds, failure to exhaust proceedings, and lack of jurisdiction.