A heated confrontation unfolded during the Cabinet meeting on Sunday regarding the stance of the Attorney General, who believes the Prime Minister should advance the dismissal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf opened the discussion, stating: "Every time we raise a discussion, the Legal Advisor blocks it and the Attorney General prevents it. Now they want to fire Minister Ben Gvir. This is not just against him; this is against all of us."
Government Secretary Yossi Fox added, "There is no precedent for firing a minister without an indictment. This is breaking the tools, it’s the end of democracy."
Minister Ben Gvir remarked, "They tried to blackmail me, someone from the Legal Advisor’s office, saying that if I don’t appoint Rinat Saban, they will fire me. Gil Limon, who is here, knows this person."
Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon responded, "What Ben Gvir is saying is a lie. We raised concerns about the policy on the Temple Mount. The Prime Minister said that the status quo would not change, but Ben Gvir is making changes."
At this point, Prime Minister Netanyahu intervened and said, "We said there will be no change in the status quo, but the changes Ben Gvir is making do not alter the status quo, and they are in coordination with me."
Limon attempted to continue, "There needs to be an independent police force, and Ben Gvir is harming the independence of the police. It’s true that no indictment has been filed against him. Take for example what happened last night when Ben Gvir immediately backed the police. A citizen was shot in Terabin, and Ben Gvir didn’t check; he immediately backed them. This is interference in the investigation, he’s interfering with investigations, and not for the first time."
The Prime Minister responded angrily: "This is simply embarrassing. The firing of Minister Ben Gvir will not happen. Pay attention to what you’re saying here. It’s not uncommon for there to be investigations in the IDF about a particular event, but that does not prevent the Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff from continuing in their roles, and sometimes I also give them my support. No one is convinced by this, you are using absurd arguments."
Minister Ben Gvir added, "If we’re talking about interfering with investigations, you (Gil Limon) are a criminal. You interfered in an investigation you shouldn’t have regarding the Military Advocate General. You sent a letter asking when the investigation would end, and you were in a conflict of interest, which is prohibited."
Limon argued, "I sent an email and did not intervene."
The Prime Minister concluded the discussion, clarifying: "I suggest the Attorney General reconsider his position. I will not fire Minister Ben Gvir."