National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has acted in violation of agreements he reached with Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and is acting illegally in interfering with police conduct, the attorney-general announced on Tuesday.
The advisory opinion came in response to a demand by the High Court of Justice from July 23.
The A-G asked the court to set another “urgent” hearing for the petitions against Ben-Gvir.
She noted that these work violations occurred despite his stated commitments not to overstep. The work agreements the two reached limited some of the actions Ben-Gvir can take as national security minister – so that he could keep the position – and also to maintain the independence and professionalism of the police.
The petitions asked that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remove Ben-Gvir from heading the ministry.
Netanyahu has requested separate representation on the case, as ordinarily his position would be represented by the attorney-general herself. Baharav-Miara said that an update from Netanyahu on the matter is expected within two weeks.
Ben-Gvir's conduct
An initial response issued by the A-G in April detailed evidence showing that Ben-Gvir’s conduct harmed and continues to harm Israel Police’s professionalism and independence. This affected protests, interrogations, and the general apolitical statesmanship of the police.
She wrote, at the time, that “the minister [Ben-Gvir] has had a cumulative negative effect on the Israel Police, which also carries long-term consequences. This is due to his authority to appoint new officers, as well as the general message that carries down to the field officers that their professional advancement depends largely on appealing to Ben-Gvir.”