JERUSALEM (VINnews) Supreme Court Justice Yitzhak Amit opened the hearing on Wednesday morning on petitions demanding the dismissal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The hearing is being held under unusual restrictions and behind closed doors, after the court administration decided to block entry to the general public due to concerns over disturbances in the courtroom.

Despite this, members of Knesset from both the coalition and the opposition were allowed to attend. In the minister’s circle, the hearing is seen as a platform to launch his election campaign, and in a tweet he published this morning, he wrote: “They are afraid.”

Right-wing demonstrators gathered outside the courtroom holding signs with slogans against the judicial system: “It’s time to tell the High Court ‘enough is enough,’” and “Ending judicial dictatorship.”

The first to be removed from the hearing was Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, after he shouted at Amit: “What about your conflict of interest? You are the corrupt one here. Sign a conflict of interest declaration.” Amit instructed court security to remove MK Cohen from the hall immediately.

Later, Ministers Idit Silman and May Golan were also removed from the hearing, along with MKs Tally Gotliv and Limor Son Har-Melech, after they disrupted order.

Gotliv, who initially refused to leave, lashed out at the judges: “What are you doing? The people are watching you. Remember this moment and why the High Court must be abolished.” MK Son Har-Melech added: “Shame on you, a bunch of cowards.”

Minister May Golan joined the attack, shouting at the judges: “You are a dictatorship.”

The hearing is expected to last several hours, with an expanded panel of nine judges examining the claims regarding the minister’s fitness to continue in his role and the impact of his conduct on the functioning of the police.

Minister Ben-Gvirhimself  arrived at the court under heavy security. In a speech at the entrance to the courtroom, he chose not to defend himself against the claims made by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, but instead embraced them with pride as proof that he fulfilled his promises to voters.

Ben-Gvir opened his remarks by affirming her claims: “She says I set policy and change the police? She’s right. She says I appointed more than 1,100 officers to implement my policy? She’s right. She says I back the fighters and support ‘Force 100’ against the blood libel against them? She’s right. The people of Israel elected me and Otzma Yehudit to lead all these things, and thank God we succeeded.”

He spoke sharply against what he called the “dismissed attorney general.” According to him, the only reason for the High Court hearing is that he dared to exercise authority in his ministry: “I’m not a model for the prosecution. I’m not a potted plant. I’m a minister elected to govern. The attorney general wants a ceremonial minister, the people of Israel want a minister of action. The only reason we are here today is because I kept my word to voters: I promised policy, governance, and that I would control my ministry. That’s exactly what I did, and that’s what the dismissed attorney general cannot stand.”

The minister sent a clear message to the judges and the legal system: “It’s time that those who vote right-wing get right-wing policy. The attempt to interfere in appointing a minister and in his authority is dangerous. It’s a slippery slope to a constitutional crisis. In a democracy, the minister sets policy and appoints those who carry it out, not a legal adviser, not the prosecution, and not their proxies. Do not drag the State of Israel into a constitutional crisis. Democracy will not fall, but judicial dictatorship will.”

Ben-Gvir concluded with a call to his supporters: “The people are not afraid, the people are not deterred, the people do not retreat. The people chose the right, and they will get the right. Anyone who doesn’t accept that is welcome to run in elections. We were elected to govern, and we will govern.”

The Shas party responded to the High Court hearing on Ben-Gvir: “The very holding of a High Court hearing to dismiss a government minister on political grounds is absurd and a symbol of loss of restraint and trampling of democracy by Supreme Court justices.

“The authority to appoint and dismiss ministers lies by law solely with the Prime Minister. The court has no authority to discuss this, and it should have dismissed the petition outright.”