Israel’s Netanyahu fires Cabinet ally following court ruling

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his announcement during the weekly cabinet meeting (Maya Alleruzzo, Pool/AP)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired a key Cabinet ally, heeding a Supreme Court ruling ordering him to do so and deepening a rift over the power of the courts.

Mr Netanyahu announced he was firing interior and health minister Aryeh Deri, at a meeting of his Cabinet. Israel’s supreme court decided last week that Mr Deri could not serve as a Cabinet minister because of a conviction last year over tax offences.