Israeli government sanctions Ben Gvir's Jewish Power party for voting against coalition bills

The Israeli coalition government’s whip, Ofir Katz, announced on Sunday that “until further notice, bills by Jewish Power members who voted against coalition discipline will not receive the coalition’s support and will not be on the agenda.” The decision is a response to the far-right party’s recent legislative revolt against the government. 

Looking ahead, Katz stressed that each bill presented by the Jewish Power party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, “will be examined on their merits, and only urgent bills that concern state security will be passed.”

The Jewish Power party has been voting against the coalition since mid-December, including key laws related to passing the 2025 state budget. Failure to pass the budget causes the government to automatically collapse.

Furthermore, Ben Gvir, who is known for his fiery statements, has threatened to boycott coalition decisions until Attorney General Gali-Baharav Miara is dismissed and the cuts for his ministry are canceled. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently underwent a successful prostate removal surgery, left the hospital early to cast the decisive vote for legislation that enables the government to tax “trapped profits,” which would provide an important source of income for the 2025 budget. With Netanyahu’s participation, the law was passed with a 59-58 vote. 

On Sunday, Ben Gvir argued that he would offer Netanyahu an offset until he has fully recovered. However, he stressed that his party will “continue to vote according to our principles.”

Katz responded to Ben Gvir’s statement by arguing that it was “unthinkable” that Jewish Power “would issue an apology and in the same breath promise to continue disrupting the coalition’s work.”

The party claimed that its “ideology has been to never shy away from ‘punishments’ [from the coalition]” and vowed to “continue to fight fearlessly for the people of Israel.”

Speaking to The Times of Israel, Jewish Power lawmaker Limor Son-Melech argued that “due to a discriminatory political vendetta, the right-wing government is choosing to block legislation that benefits all citizens of Israel.”

Ben Gvir has repeatedly challenged Netanyahu and the coalition government’s policies. Jewish Power, which demands a continuation of the war against Hamas in Gaza, has been criticized by political opponents for undermining any prospects for releasing the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. 

Ben Gvir has also challenged Netanyahu on the controversial issue of visits to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. 

In August 2024, Netanyahu condemned Ben Gvir after the minister ascended the Temple Mount with over 1,500 right-wing Israeli Jews. Ben Gvir has openly challenged the current “status quo,” a reference to an arrangement that permits only Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount while barring Jews and Christians. Netanyahu stressed that the “status quo” was still in place. 

“Policymaking on the Temple Mount is directly subordinate to the government and its leader. There is no private policy of any minister on the Temple Mount – not the minister of national security or any other minister. This morning's incident on the Temple Mount is a deviation from the status quo. The policy has not changed – it has been and will remain,” Netanyahu stated.

While discriminatory in practice, the purpose of the “status quo” arrangement is to reduce tensions with the Islamic world, which rejects a Jewish or Christian presence at the ancient Jerusalem site. The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and is considered to be the third most important site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. 

Despite political tensions between Netanyahu and Ben Gvir, analysts believe it is unlikely that the prime minister will dismiss him, as the narrow coalition government relies on Ben Gvir’s party for its Knesset seats.