Israel’s High Court of Justice on Tuesday evening canceled a hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday on petitions seeking the dismissal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The justices ruled that, in the absence of a substantive response from the prime minister—whose decision is at the center of the petitions—there was no practical purpose in holding the hearing at this stage.
In its decision, the court stated that “given the lack of substantive engagement with the merits by the prime minister, whose decision stands at the heart of the petitions, we see no practical value in proceeding with the hearing.”
The hearing has been postponed until March, and the judicial panel will be expanded to five justices. According to the court, the new hearing date will be set no later than the end of March 2026.
The decision also noted that the government’s response failed to provide a detailed engagement with the factual foundations presented by the other parties to the case. The justices further pointed to the absence of a direct, substantive position from the prime minister himself regarding the contested decision.
In addition, following a request by Ben Gvir and in light of what the court described as the “significant weight of the claims” raised in the petitions, the justices ordered the immediate expansion of the panel.
At the same time, the court signaled that the matter remains active and unresolved. Citing the continued lack of a substantive response, the justices indicated that the expanded panel would consider issuing a conditional order and said that a decision on that question would be issued by the end of the month.
{Matzav.com}
