Likud prepares to fire AG; minister signals gov’t will reject Supreme Court attempts to overturn decision

Israel poised for constitutional crisis as minister officially summons Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to a hearing prior to her termination, while a senior Coalition member declares government will not accept Supreme Court ruling against the firing.

By World Israel News Staff

A new Israeli ministerial committee established on Sunday has formally summoned the attorney general to a hearing next week, initiating the process of her termination.

On Sunday, the Cabinet voted to back a proposal by Justice Minister Yariv Levin (Likud) to alter the rules for removing a sitting attorney general from office, enabling the government to consult a committee of ministers prior to terminating the AG rather than being forced to consult with the committee responsible for appointing attorneys general.

The chairman of the new committee, Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli (Likud), penned a letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Monday, summoning her to a committee hearing next Tuesday.

The hearing marks the first step in the process of removing Baharav-Miara from office.

An appointee of the Bennett-Lapid government, Baharav-Miara has clashed with the Netanyahu government repeatedly since it came to power at the end of 2022, culminating in the unanimous Cabinet decision in March to back her removal from office.

Baharav-Miara’s office has pushed back on the effort to fire her, claiming that Sunday’s vote was illegitimate and did not properly address the safeguards for the AG’s office included in the previous statutes, passed in 2000, which the Cabinet voted to amend.

Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon penned a response to the amendment, decrying it as a purely political move that weakened the role of the attorney general.

Amid the controversy over the amendment and the effort to remove Baharav-Miara from office, Transportation Minister Miri Regev (Likud) warned the Supreme Court not to interfere with the government’s bid to fire the AG.

“We are acting in a very legal manner, and I suggest that the Supreme Court not pull the rope too far,” Regev said at a conference hosted by Yedioth Aharanoth.

Regev hinted that the government could ignore a Supreme Court ruling striking down Baharav-Miara’s termination.

“Because if it says no, then there may very well be a situation where we say: enough is enough. In other words, we will not respect the Supreme Court’s ruling — absolutely.”

“The Supreme Court does not respect the decisions of the government,” she continued. “The Court does not adhere to the very clear separation between the judicial, executive, and legislative branches. The Supreme Court has taken for itself too many powers that belong to the Knesset and the government. I suggest the Court return to its traditional role — namely, to allow the government to carry out its duties as we were elected by the public to do.”