National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara over what they claimed was her attempts to trip up the government in order to topple it.
Ben-Gvir argued in a press conference before his Otzma Yehudit party’s weekly meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem that Baharav-Miara had sent one of her deputies to the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 unit to request that they open a criminal investigation into his alleged distribution of thousands of firearms by people who were unqualified to do so. According to Ben-Gvir, when the deputy was turned away, Baharav-Miara sent a different deputy demanding “to find something against Ben-Gvir.”
Guilty conscience
The national security minister said that his source was an “attorney” who had a “guilty conscience.” He did not provide proof of his claim, and the attorney general’s office put out a statement soon after saying that the claim was “completely false.”
Smotrich criticized Baharav-Miara for what he claimed was her inaction against the incitement against the government and prime minister.
Smotrich accused the AG of “taking advantage” of her role and authorities “to hold a political fight.” If the AG had any “integrity and fairness,” she should have resigned and joined protests against the government.
The demands to remove Baharav-Miara came on the backdrop of increasingly severe rhetoric against her over a number of occurrences in the past weeks, including recent flares shot in the direction of his house in Caesarea, the ongoing investigation into members of the prime minister’s inner circle, a High Court petition to force the prime minister to fire Ben-Gvir over repeated violations of the law preventing him from involving himself in operational police matters, and Netanyahu’s upcoming testimony in his criminal trials.
The prime minister is bound by a conflict-of-interest agreement that bars him from involving himself in any matters pertaining to the judicial system, including the attorney-general, who is also responsible for Israel’s public prosecution. An attempt by the prime minister to fire the AG, may result in the High Court ruling him incapacitated, and could lead to a constitutional crisis if he refuses to step aside.
Ynet reported on Monday that Netanyahu no longer ruled out an initiative to remove the AG. Walla reported that he was also considering removing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar from his position. Neither report included proof.
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