Israel: Ben Gvir slams attorney general for suggesting Netanyahu to fire him, calls it 'attempt to coup'

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticised Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara for sending a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for him to be fired. 

According to a report by The Times of Israel, Baharav-Miara sent a letter to Netanyahu on Thursday (Nov 14) suggesting him to fire Ben Gvir as police minister over his illegal attempts to intervene in police activity. 

Ben Gvir took to X to slam Baharav-Miara as he called her letter an "attempt to coup."

"The only impeachment that should be carried out is the impeachment of a legal adviser to the government, who is trying to impeach a prime minister and dismiss a minister from his position due to political positions and policy implementation," he wrote on X. 

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In her letter to Netanyahu, the attorney general said that Ben Gvir has seemed to violate the High Court decisions multiple times. She also accused him of violating the instructions to refrain from intervening in operational police matters. 

“It appears that the minister is using his authority to make appointments and end the tenure of officers in a manner which constitutes an illegitimate intervention in the operational running of the police,” Baharav-Miara wrote in the letter, Times of Israel reported. 

Ben Gvir is an ultranationalist activist-turned-lawyer with a history of security-related offences.

Baharav-Miara's letter came the same day leaders from all parties in the coalition of the Israeli government issued a statement denouncing any effort by her to force Netanyahu to step aside. 

Reportedly the attorney general may deem the prime minister incapacitated while he is testifying in his ongoing corruption trial. 

Ben Gvir On Gallant's Removal 

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On November 6, Ben Gvir praised Prime Minister Netanyahu's sacking of Yoav Gallant, saying "absolute victory" in the country's ongoing wars was not possible under him.

"Congratulations to the prime minister for the decision to fire Gallant. With Gallant, absolute victory cannot be achieved. And the prime minister did well to remove him from his position," Ben Gvir said on Telegram.

(With inputs from agencies)