Israel: High Court undermines bill to expand Ben-Gvir’s power

Israel’s High Court of Justice issued an interim injunction on Sunday against the proposed law which would expand the power of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over the police, local media have reported. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Israeli government has 90 days to explain why the law is necessary and should not be cancelled.

The order was issued in response to a petition against the law. The Times of Israel said that such a ruling indicates that the court agrees in principle with the petitioners’ case.

The draft bill has been submitted at right-wing extremist Ben Gvir’s behest. It states that, as National Security Minister, he is entitled to “direct police policy and the general principles for its operations,” including determining police priorities and operational programmes, as well as general orders and instructions.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG) said that this is a “blatant attempt to turn the Israel Police into a dictatorial political arm.” The law, it added, is making its way to the dustbin of history. “We will do the same with the rest of the regime coup laws that the government is planning. We will continue to fight on all fronts to keep Israel free and democratic.”

The MQG, Labor Party members, Yesh Atid members, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee petitioned against the law, arguing that it politicised law enforcement.

The Jerusalem Post reported the petitioners as saying that control exerted by Ben-Gvir blurred the lines between politics and law enforcement, and confused the chain of command. The newspaper added that they also said that civil rights, especially those of minorities and political rivals, were in danger from such a law.

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