Ahead of the fateful nine-judge panel Supreme Court hearing, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir submitted a scathing response on Sunday to the petitions calling for his dismissal.
In his response, Ben-Gvir criticized the Attorney General's position and warned against its constitutional consequences. According to the minister, "The Attorney General's demand to dismiss a minister in the Israeli government can tear the rope and lead to a constitutional crisis."
Ben-Gvir claimed that the court does not have the authority to dismiss a serving minister who was not convicted, and that the very consideration of the petitions endangers social order. He said that a situation where ministerial tenure becomes a legal question due to dissatisfaction of petitioners or the Attorney General should not be accepted.
The minister called on the court to respect the election results and the Israeli citizens' political rights, and to refrain from interfering in the composition of the government. He added that the court must "remove their hands from dealing with the government's composition" and maintain the boundaries of public law.
Ben-Gvir further argued that the Attorney General has a conflict of interest due to his previous positions he took against her and his participation in recommendations for her dismissal, among other things. He also noted that he was not convicted, indicted, or interrogated under warning, and therefore, there is no cause to dismiss him.
Addressing the other issues, he noted that claims that were raised against him in the past, including the Temple Mount, were found to be mistaken. He said that the Shin Bet also found no evidence against him after gathering information, which he said is worrying.
Ben-Gvir added that he had the right to set policies, support officers, and criticize various officials, and that there is no evidence of his unauthorized interference in police work.
He accused the Attorney General of attempting to deprive him of his statutory powers and claimed that the public had already decided the question of his tenure.