Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly declared Sunday that he would not fire National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, sparking a tense exchange with Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon over the matter during a cabinet meeting.

The spat took place days after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said in a High Court of Justice filing that Netanyahu must be ordered to explain why he hasn’t fired Ben Gvir, accusing the far-right minister of systematically abusing his powers.

During the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs said there is no precedent for firing a minister without an indictment. To do so would “break the system” and signal “the end of democracy,” he claimed.

Despite the absence of an indictment, Limon insisted that Ben Gvir has harmed the independence of the police force over the course of his term.

“Last night, a citizen was shot in Tarabin and Ben Gvir didn’t investigate but immediately backed [law enforcement]. This is interference in an investigation,” Limon........

© The Times of Israel