JERUSALEM – The Israeli government has initiated steps to remove Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, a prominent critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing “prolonged disagreements” and allegations of misconduct. Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced the decision in a letter released late Wednesday, stating that Baharav-Miara’s actions had created a deep rift between the government and its chief legal adviser.
“The role of legal counsel is to provide guidance based on law, not to serve as a political tool that obstructs the government’s ability to function,” Levin wrote, suggesting that Baharav-Miara had politicized her position. This move marks an escalation in tensions between Netanyahu’s administration and Israel’s judiciary, with legal experts and opposition figures warning it could further erode the country’s democratic institutions.
Baharav-Miara, Israel’s first female attorney-general, has frequently clashed with Netanyahu’s government since its return to power in 2022. She previously warned that proposed judicial reforms could undermine Israel’s democracy and accused the prime minister of acting “illegally” when advancing those reforms in 2023, which triggered mass protests.
Following the start of the Gaza war, she also criticized the long-standing exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from Israel’s mandatory military service, an issue that has fueled political discord. Opposition leader Yair Lapid suggested that her stance on military conscription and funding for the ultra-Orthodox community was the real reason behind the push to remove her.
“She simply told them two things: enforce the draft and stop funneling money to the ultra-Orthodox under the table. That’s why they want her out,” Lapid posted on X.
The process to dismiss Baharav-Miara, which includes a no-confidence motion submitted by Levin, could ultimately be decided by Israel’s Supreme Court, setting the stage for another high-stakes legal battle between the government and the judiciary.