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Netanyahu and his supporters accuse Attorney General Gali
Baharav-Miara of exceeding her powers by blocking decisions by
the elected government, including a move to fire the head of
Israel's domestic security agency, another ostensibly apolitical
office. She has said there is a conflict of interest because
Netanyahu and several former aides face a series of criminal
investigations.
Critics accuse Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, of
undermining judicial independence and seeking to concentrate
power in the hands of his coalition government, the most
nationalist and religious in Israel's history. Netanyahu denies
the allegations and says he is the victim of a witch hunt by
hostile judicial officials egged on by the media.
An attempt by Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judiciary
in 2023 sparked months of mass protests, and many believe it
weakened the country ahead of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack later that
year that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a prominent
watchdog group, said it filed an emergency petition with the
Supreme Court following Monday's vote. It said more than 15,000
citizens have joined the petition, calling the dismissal
“illegal” and “unprecedented.”
In a statement, the group accused the government of changing
dismissal procedures only after failing to legally remove
Baharav-Miara under the existing rules. It also cited a conflict
of interest related to Netanyahu's ongoing trial.
“This decision turns the role of the attorney general into a
political appointment,” the group said. “The legal battle will
continue until this flawed decision is overturned.”
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