Ben-Gvir is accused of making remarks “that could discourage judges from performing their duties,” and “undermine their rulings in the eyes of police officers.”
Israel’s Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has requested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reassess “his stance” on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s role as security minister, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
“The combination of the alleged improper interventions in police operations and the dependency of police officers on the minister for their promotions undermines the assurance that the police will act in loyalty to the public rather than the politicians,” Baharav-Miara was quoted as saying in a report on Thursday.
Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to reconsider National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's role over alleged political interference in police operations, local media reports https://t.co/5dsxAbJQ2v pic.twitter.com/CA243ECa9N
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) November 15, 2024
The attorney-general noted, in a letter to Netanyahu, incidents included in a petition to the High Court of Justice against Ben-Gvir’s position. She said those incidents, as well as incidents that precede it, “create a rare, severe, and ongoing pattern of law violations, breaches of duty, and harm to fundamental governance principles, alongside the politicization of police work.”
‘Interfering’ in Police Operations
Baharav-Miara added that evidence suggests Ben-Gvir had “allegedly influenced and repeatedly interfered, in a blatant and improper manner, in police operations, contrary to judicial decisions.”
Itamar Ben-Gvir Fails to Censor Report Exposing His Private Messages
She further stressed that during his time in office, Ben-Gvir has “made remarks that could discourage judges from performing their duties, undermine their rulings in the eyes of police officers, intimidate law enforcement officials from executing their responsibilities, and delegitimize investigations of police misconduct by the Police Internal Investigations Department, thereby eroding respect for its work within the Israel Police.”
Netanyahu’s office has not responded to the attorney general’s letter, according to the Anadolu news agency.
‘Attempt to Overthrow Government’
Ben-Gvir meanwhile called on the prime minister “to reconsider his stance on the tenure of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara,” the Jerusalem Post reported.
“The combination of the alleged improper interventions in the government’s policy and the ministers’ dependence on the Attorney-General for their positions undermines the ability to ensure that the government acts in loyalty to the public rather than to the legal echelon,” he reportedly said in a statement.
ניסיון ההפיכה של היועצת החל. ההדחה היחידה שיש לערוך היא הדחה של יועצת משפטית לממשלה, שמנסה להוציא לנבצרות ראש ממשלה ולפטר שר מתפקידו בשל עמדות פוליטיות וישום מדיניות.
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) November 14, 2024
“This evening, the Attorney-General has begun an attempt to overthrow an elected government in Israel, and I call on the Prime Minister to consider her dismissal,” the national security minister added.
Ben-Gvir has made widely criticized statements, including calls for legislation that would allow the execution of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons as well as his advocacy for imposing Israeli sovereignty over illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
(PC, Anadolu)
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