National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has informed Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara that he will continue attending demolitions of illegal structures in the Negev, defying her directive that he refrain from participating in or being present during the enforcement operations. In a strongly worded letter sent to Baharav-Miara on Thursday, Ben Gvir argued that the directive was unlawful and that she had no authority to prevent him from overseeing enforcement activities carried out under his ministry.

“Your directive is unlawful and lacks authority," Ben Gvir wrote. He argued that ministers have the right to supervise, inspect and attend events conducted under their authority, adding that such involvement is desirable. “This does not involve replacing the operational personnel or carrying out operational activities, but rather the presence of a political representative of the government and the public during operations conducted by state or public employees."

“I will therefore continue leading the governance reform and the return of state land to state control, continue taking an active part on the ground, closely monitor the demolition project and provide backing to the dedicated police officers and state employees implementing my policy. After years in which you and your predecessors allowed lawlessness and forgot that there is such a thing as law enforcement in the Negev, you would have been better off welcoming every demolition carried out during my tenure."

“In my term, we have demolished more than 19,000 illegal structures in the Negev, despite your attempts to obstruct and prevent this," he wrote.