Close
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at a demolition of a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem in October. Credit: Itamar Ben-Gvir/X
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at a demolition of a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem in October. Credit: Itamar Ben-Gvir/X
The Israel Police and the government’s land enforcement authority have pledged not to invite National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to accompany building demolitions, according to an update the state submitted to the High Court of Justice on Thursday.
The pledge follows a petition to the court and a directive from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to law enforcement agencies to prevent Ben-Gvir from accompanying demolition operations, saying he was using them for election campaigning.
In its submission to the court, the state said the attorney general’s office had instructed enforcement authorities to ensure that “enforcement actions in the run-up to the elections are carried out without the presence of any political figures.” It also said elected officials must be prevented from using state resources for election campaigning.
Haaretz reported that, following the attorney general’s intervention, Ben-Gvir told Baharav-Miara that her directive was “illegal and issued without authority.” The minister said his participation in the operations was intended for “oversight and supervision” and vowed to continue attending them to “advance the governance reform and the return of the land.”