‘Ugly, politicized power’ – Coalition moves to oust attorney general

“The attorney general unlawfully turned herself into a veto power of the legislative branch against dozens of bills ministers have sought to advance,” wrote Justice Minister Yariv Levin.

By World Israel News Staff

Justice Minister Yariv Levin filed a motion on Wednesday to begin the process of dismissing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara after months of tension between the coalition and its advisory lawyer.

Levin initiated the lengthy bureaucratic procedures to fire Baharav-Miara, which will likely take months, by asking the cabinet secretary to set a date for a hearing regarding her dismissal.

“The attorney general acts as the long arm of the government’s opponents and spares no effort to thwart the will of the voter,” Levin wrote in the motion, according to Hebrew-language media.

The current coalition, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has butted heads with Baharav-Miara since its establishment in late December 2022.

Levin and other critics of the attorney general have said that she has inappropriately interfered with political appointments and decisions, falsely claiming they are unconstitutional.

The justice minister claimed that Baharav-Miara has declared various bills and pieces of government legislation as not being legally sound due to her own political beliefs rather than an actual legal issue.

“The attorney general thereby unlawfully turned herself into a veto power of the legislative branch against dozens of bills ministers have sought to advance,” Levin wrote.

Levin also cited numerous incidents in which Baharav-Miara refused to represent the government in response to petitions against it by advocacy groups – a crucial part of her role as attorney general.

Additionally, Barahav-Miara had refused to allow the government to seek outside counsel to defend itself, essentially leaving the coalition without effective legal representation.

“The attorney general has appropriated almost unlimited, unbridled power for herself and made crude and ugly political use of it under the guise of professionalism and objectivity,” Levin argued.

At one point, Baharav-Miara opposed the government’s pick for a temporary head to the country’s broadcast regulatory agency but refused to allow the government to retain a lawyer to challenge her.

Levin noted that the Supreme Court reprimanded Barahav-Miara for that specific incident.