Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit Party announced on Monday that it would not be bound by coalition discipline in votes “starting this evening” due to government infighting.
“In recent weeks, parts of the coalition have operated independently in a variety of areas,” the party said in a statement, citing the refusal to submit a proposal to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, ongoing talks for “irresponsible deal” to free the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and budget cuts to Ben-Gvir’s ministry.
“The Otzma Yehudit faction will therefore not be bound by the coalition position, including on the budget bill, and will operate independently and selectively starting this evening,” the statement concluded.
It was published shortly after a meeting between coalition leaders that was called to discuss Baharav-Miara’s firing was canceled. The previous day, a discussion among coalition party leaders on the issue took place at the Knesset in Jerusalem, after which Ben-Gvir said there was “broad agreement” on firing the attorney general.
Monday’s meeting was reportedly postponed amid fears that the gathering at the Prime Minister’s Office would violate a 2020 conflict of interest deal that precludes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from involving himself in legal appointments while his corruption trial is ongoing.
Ben-Gvir in June briefly suspended his role in Netanyahu’s governing coalition until the premier revealed the details of the ceasefire proposal with Hamas that was floated by U.S. President Joe Biden that month.
Some three months ago, Otzma Yehudit again threatened to freeze its participation in the coalition due to the ceasefire talks with Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. If a deal would be signed, the party would “relieve itself of any commitment to the coalition,” including voting in the Knesset and attending cabinet meetings, Ben-Gvir said.
The Security Cabinet approved the truce in Lebanon by a vote of 10-1 on Nov. 26, with Ben-Gvir being the only minister to vote against the move, although he stated he would not quit the coalition over the decision.
Otzma Yehudit also boycotted Knesset votes in May 2023 following the decision to hand over the bodies of three terrorists to the Palestinian Authority, as well as in response to budget cuts on programs for the Galilee and the Negev run by Otzma Yehudit’s Yitzhak Wasserlauf.
Even without Ben-Gvir’s six Knesset seats, the coalition has a majority in the 120-seat parliament due to the four mandates held by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope Party, which joined in September.