Israeli ministers sign petition to dismiss country’s attorney general

JERUSALEM

Israeli ministers signed a petition Tuesday calling for the dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara amid growing tensions between her and the far-right-dominated ruling coalition.

​​​​​​The attorney general of Israel serves as the chief legal advisor to the government, offering legal counsel, participating in drafting legislation and ensuring compliance with existing laws while safeguarding fundamental rights.

Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi initiated the move to dismiss Baharav-Miara, while Justice Minister Yariv Levin drafted the petition, which garnered 14 ministerial signatures, Channel 12 reported.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not sign the petition due to a "conflict of interest" stemming from his ongoing legal cases.

Should Netanyahu proceed with dismissing Baharav-Miara, it would violate the conflict-of-interest arrangement established by former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in 2020.

The Supreme Court had imposed this arrangement on Netanyahu as a condition for remaining in office during his trial on charges of corruption, bribery and breach of trust.

According to Channel 12, the petition arose from "mutual distrust" between the ministers and the attorney general. The signatories accuse Baharav-Miara of obstructing government decisions and legislative initiatives, allegedly overstepping the authority granted to her.

On the other hand, government critics view Baharav-Miara as one of the last "gatekeepers" upholding checks and balances against a series of "anti-democratic" policies and laws proposed by the government.

In a related development, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to destabilize the ruling coalition and halt support for legislation in the Knesset (parliament) unless action is taken to dismiss Baharav-Miara.

The petition requires the signatures of three additional ministers (for a total of 17) to secure the majority needed to force its discussion in the Cabinet.

Since launching its genocidal war on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in October last year, Israel has killed over 44,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 105,000, according to official figures.

The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn widespread international condemnation, noting that starvation tactics and blocking humanitarian aid deliveries amount to deliberate attempts to destroy an entire population.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its actions in Gaza, which have drawn mounting international condemnation

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala