Israel’s government has voted unanimously to dismiss attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara after she opposed the efforts of the right-wing government to implement a radical judicial overhaul, shifting the balance of power away from the judicial branch, and blocked moves to grant the ultra-Orthodox an exemption from military service.
She also serves as chief prosecutor in the ongoing corruption trial against prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and opponents of the government say the real aim is to replace her with a “yes-man” who may end the proceedings. Mr Netanyahu claims he is innocent of the charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes.
Ministers, led by justice minister Yariv Levin, have accused her of pushing a progressive agenda aimed at undermining the policies of the democratically elected right-wing government.
Ms Baharav-Miara refused to attend Monday’s cabinet meeting, instead sending a letter to ministers accusing the government of acting illegally by not following accepted procedure required for such a dismissal.
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“The attorney general’s participation in a process that contradicts the law, whose outcome is known in advance, would create an appearance of proper procedure and give it validity,” she wrote. “We will continue to perform our work with statesmanship, objectivity and without fear.”
The unprecedented dismissal was described by the opposition as a “constitutional earthquake”. It will only go into effect after the high court of justice rules on a number of petitions against the move and legal experts believe the court is likely to strike it down, leaving Israel in unchartered constitutional waters.
Ministers say they will boycott Ms Baharav-Miara, not inviting her to key government meetings and not seeking her legal opinion. However, she enjoys strong support from judges, senior civil servants and the security establishment – both past and present
