Israeli government declares ‘no confidence’ in Attorney-General

The Israeli government unanimously passed a no-confidence motion against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Sunday, initiating a complex process to remove her from office. No Israeli Attorney General has ever been fired.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was prohibited from participating in the meeting because of a conflict of interest from his corruption trial. The meeting was chaired by Justice Minister Yariv Levin.

Baharav-Miara boycotted the government meeting, instead sending a sharply-worded letter.

“The move must be understood as it is – the proposal seeks to promote not trust but loyalty to the political echelon. Not governance, but unlimited governmental power, as part of a broader move to weaken the judiciary and deter all professional echelons,” her letter said. “The government seeks to be above the law, and to act without checks and balances, even during the most sensitive periods – a time of emergency, protests against the government, and an election period.”

The government cites “inappropriate behaviour” and “substantial differences” with Baharav-Miara, arguing they hinder effective governance. The opposition says the moves to fire Baharav-Miara and Bar are political and anti-democratic.

Levin slammed the Attorney General for not attending the meeting in person. “The advisor almost systematically refuses to appear before the Constitution Committee, ignores the ministers’ requests to her, and does not respond to my own requests. As Minister of Justice, not to mention what is happening with other ministers, I receive a blatant disregard for my letters,” Levin said.

The dismissal process is expected to take around two months. The cabinet must consult the selection committee that appointed her. The committee will then hold a hearing where Baharav-Miara will defend herself before deciding whether to endorse her removal. However, the government retains the final say.

Complicating matters is that the selection committee has two vacant seats which must be filled by a Knesset member from the governing coalition, and a former attorney general. It is widely believed that Knesset speaker Amir Ohana and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar — a former Justice Minister — will join that committee.

Opposition groups vowed to petition the High Court of Justice to block the Attorney General’s dismissal.

“After the interrogated Netanyahu tried to fire his interrogator, today the accused wants to fire his prosecutor. It’s illegal, it’s corrupt, it won’t pass,” tweeted opposition leader Yair Lapid.

Baharav-Miara became Attorney General in 2022, the first woman to fill the position, and nominated by then-Justice Minister Sa’ar. Sa’ar no longer supports Baharav-Miara.

“In the previous government, she was the cabinet secretary, and in ours, she is the opposition leader,” said Environmental Minister Idit Sliman.

The Attorney General oversees public prosecution, represents the state in legal proceedings, serves as the government’s chief legal counsel, and advocates for the public interest in legal matters. The position is limited to one six-year term.

No Israeli Attorney General has ever been removed from the position. Gideon Hausner — who as Attorney General was chief prosecutor during the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann — resigned in 1963 to pursue a political career. In 1978, Aharon Barak was promoted in the middle of his term to the Supreme Court. And in 1997, Michael Ben-Yair resigned following the election of a new government.

The government on Friday also voted to fire Ronen Bar as director of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet). However, the High Court of Justice issued a temporary injunction against Bar’s dismissal.

The Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service, is responsible for counterterrorism, counterintelligence, internal security, VIP protection, and cybersecurity. No Shin Bet director has ever been fired before the end of his five-year term.