Israel government takes first step to oust attorney general

Israel’s justice minister took a first step on Wednesday toward removing the country’s attorney general from office, a measure that could spark a new constitutional crisis and help the government enact policies that have drawn fierce criticism.

Appointed by the previous government, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has often sparred with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious coalition over the legality of its bills and policies.

In a letter to fellow cabinet ministers, Justice Minister Yariv Levin proposed a no-confidence measure against Baharav-Miara, citing substantial differences between the government and the attorney general.

Baharav-Miara was celebrated by the opposition as a gatekeeper of democracy in 2023 when Netanyahu’s government launched a bid to overhaul Israel’s justice system and give elected politicians more power over the Supreme Court.

Differences with the attorney general that have had a direct impact on the governing coalition’s stability also include exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students from military conscription.

Those issues are yet to be resolved in Israel’s parliament.

There was no immediate comment from the attorney general on Levin’s announcement. Baharav-Miara’s ouster would likely be a long and protracted process that could be struck down midway or contested in court.

It comes as Israel is facing legal challenges abroad over its conduct of the war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and as Netanyahu is standing trial on corruption charges he denies.

Last Thursday the attorney general also announced an investigation into the links between “people active in the prime minister’s office and people tied to Qatar.”