Top Israeli court adjourns chaotic hearing on removal of minister Ben-Gvir

Israel’s Supreme Court adjourned a nearly 10-hour hearing Wednesday on petitions seeking the removal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over accusations that he unlawfully interfered in police affairs.

Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily said the court would issue its decision at a later date.

According to the newspaper, the judges proposed an attempt to reach a preliminary understanding between Ben-Gvir and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on the limits of the minister’s involvement in police activity.

Government representatives accepted the proposal, but Baharav-Miara rejected any compromise unless the court first issued a temporary order restricting Ben-Gvir’s intervention in police work.

The hearing, broadcast live on the court’s website, quickly descended into disorder.

For the first time, the judges barred the general public from entering the courtroom, allowing access only to petitioners, lawyers, ministers and Knesset members.

As Supreme Court President Isaac Amit entered the courtroom, Deputy Minister Almog Cohen shouted at him: “You are the head of corruption! You have a conflict of interest!”

Cohen was immediately removed from the courtroom.

According to Channel 12, Amit then warned that the session would continue without interruptions and that anyone disturbing order would be expelled.

The court later removed five lawmakers from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition after they heckled the judges and argued that the court had no authority to consider Ben-Gvir’s removal.

Outside the court, dozens of Ben-Gvir supporters gathered, carrying signs saying “Enough with the Supreme Court” and “End the judicial dictatorship.”

Ben-Gvir, who has served as national security minister since December 2022, also addressed supporters outside the hearing in defiant remarks.

“The attorney general claims I am changing policy and the police and intervening in appointments in order to implement my policy. She is right,” he said.

In a direct warning to the judges, he added: “Do not drag Israel into a constitutional crisis, division and polarization. The legal dictatorship will fall.”

Justice Minister Yariv Levin of Netanyahu’s Likud party said any decision by the court to remove Ben-Gvir “will not be implemented.”

On Sunday, Netanyahu told the court that it had no authority to dismiss a minister because of his conduct or administrative decisions.

“The authority to dismiss a minister belongs exclusively to the prime minister,” he said.

In January, Baharav-Miara asked the court to order Netanyahu to remove Ben-Gvir, saying he had abused his office to influence police operations, particularly in sensitive investigations and law enforcement cases.

According to Israel’s Haaretz daily, Ben-Gvir has imposed what it described as a “criminal ideology” on the police since taking office by targeting opponents of the government, weakening law enforcement bodies, increasing pressure on Arab citizens and dismissing officers.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref