A legal filing submitted Tuesday to Israel’s Supreme Court, as part of petitions seeking the removal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has stirred controversy over its use of historical references and imagery tied to the rise of Nazi Germany.
In the document, the petitioners’ attorney, Gilad Barnea, introduced a key section titled “The background is an imminent and certain danger to the very existence of Israel’s democratic foundations," opening with a quotation from the well-known poem “First They Came," attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller. The poem, often associated with the dangers of remaining silent in the face of persecution, was used to frame the petitioners’ argument that current government actions amount to a broader threat to Israel’s democratic system.
Barnea went on to draw an additional historical comparison, referencing Austria in the early 20th century. He described how the government there weakened its constitutional court in the years 1920-1934, a move he said enabled the eventual establishment of a dictatorship. He argued that this serves as a cautionary example that Israel’s judiciary must avoid repeating.
Minister Ben-Gvir swiftly condemned the arguments, accusing the petitioners of trivializing the Holocaust and disrespecting its victims. He criticized the court for allowing the case to proceed, saying it gives space to what he called “delusional" claims that could lead to a constitutional crisis and harm the memory of the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.