Demands have been rising within the government coalition to dismiss National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, following his decision to refrain from supporting a bill granting tax exemptions to companies on part of their profits within the draft state budget law for the year 2025, which was voted on in the second and third readings yesterday, and passed with the support of 59 Knesset members and the opposition of 58.

Shortly before the vote on the bill, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to leave Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem to participate in the vote, despite opposition from doctors following his prostatectomy on Sunday, in case the bill did not pass. This was evident after the vote ended and the bill passed by only one vote.

MKs from the Otzma Yehudit party announced that they would oppose the bill because of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's "targeting" of the police and the prison service, which are under Ben-Gvir's responsibility, while MKs from the Agudat Yisrael party in the United Torah Judaism bloc were absent from the vote in protest of the delay in passing the law exempting Haredim from conscription.

Netanyahu addressed Ben-Gvir's opposition to the law, saying, "There is no greater irresponsible stupidity than this. I expect all coalition members, including Minister Ben-Gvir, to stop destabilizing the coalition and posing a threat to the existence of the right-wing government at this critical time in Israel's history."

Smotrich criticized Ben Gvir on the X platform, writing that “Minister Ben Gvir unfortunately chose to harm the prime minister, forcing him to leave his sickbed and posing a threat to the existence of the government and the economy for the sake of media tricks.”

Ben-Gvir responded by saying that he "suggested not to disturb the prime minister, and that the police budget could be agreed upon immediately, if only Smotrich would stop boycotting Ben-Gvir and agree to negotiations now," while Smotrich considered that he "is determined to continue leading the Israeli economy in the year of war and not to be drawn into childish disputes."

Netanyahu insists on keeping Ben-Gvir in the coalition, not dismissing him, and trying to minimize the confrontation with him, according to Haaretz newspaper today, Wednesday, which quoted sources in the Likud party as saying that “although the coalition includes 67 MKs, and therefore he could in principle manage without the support of Otzma Yehudit, represented by six MKs, Netanyahu does not trust Gideon Sa’ar (the foreign minister) and is not prepared to leave the fate of the coalition in his hands and extort achievements.”

According to the coalition agreement between Likud and Sa'ar, the latter is expected to join Likud and run for office in the upcoming Knesset elections, while "Netanyahu's advisers are extremely skeptical of Sa'ar," according to the newspaper.