Israeli Cabinet Holds No Confidence Vote Against Attorney General

Israel’s cabinet has passed a vote of no confidence against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Al Jazeera reports, citing the country’s justice minister.

This marks the first step in a process that could lead to the removal of a prominent critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.

The vote, held on Sunday, follows the government’s recent dismissal of Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, a decision which was later frozen by the Supreme Court.

The Prime Minister’s office stated that Baharav-Miara, the country’s top legal official, is accused of “inappropriate behavior” and of “ongoing substantial differences of opinion between the government and the attorney general, which prevents effective collaboration.”

Baharav-Miara, who did not attend the cabinet meeting, denied the accusations and accused the government of attempting to operate above the law. In a letter to the cabinet before the vote, she stated that the no-confidence vote was aimed at gaining “limitless power” and was part of a broader effort to “weaken the judicial branch” and “promote loyalty to the government.”

The no-confidence vote does not automatically result in her dismissal. A committee will now review the arguments and hold a hearing to consider the case. If the committee does not support her removal, the Supreme Court could still block it.

The attempted dismissals of both the Shin Bet chief and the Attorney General have sparked protests, with demonstrators arguing that these actions pose a threat to democracy and represent a crackdown on dissenting voices critical of Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has cited an “ongoing lack of trust” in Bar, who is scheduled to testify on April 8. He maintains that the government has the authority to decide who heads Shin Bet.

Critics suggest that Netanyahu’s actions against Bar stem from the latter’s criticism of the government’s handling of security failures leading up to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Allegations have also been made regarding Netanyahu’s ongoing bribery trial.

Shin Bet has investigated Netanyahu’s close associates on suspicion of receiving funds linked to Qatar. Netanyahu’s office has dismissed these accusations as “fake news.”