Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, says his top lawyer tried to undermine him in what his critics in Israel say is part of a purge of those he sees as disloyal.
Israel's cabinet passed a no-confidence vote Sunday in the country's attorney general to begin the process of removing her, a move critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said was part of his efforts to curb judicial independence and purge officials he sees as disloyal.
Mr Netanyahu and his allies have accused Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of undermining their authority. The vote of no confidence in her, and the cabinet's approval of the firing of Israel's domestic intelligence chief days earlier, reignited street protests reminiscent of the upheaval caused by government plans to overhaul the judiciary before the 2023 war with Hamas.
In a letter to the cabinet on Sunday, Ms. Baharav-Miara said the no-confidence vote was not part of a formal process that would be legally necessary to remove her. She added that Mr. Netanyahu’s government had sought to place itself “above the law, acting without checks and balances, even in the most sensitive times,” citing, among other things, the war in Gaza.
Legal experts say Ms Baharav-Miar's dismissal is likely to be a weeks-long process because of long-standing checks designed to protect the independence of her role. Her dismissal would first have to be considered by a special appointments committee, which currently has some members missing and cannot meet until the vacancies are filled.
Israel's Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin, who introduced the no-confidence motion to the cabinet, issued a statement after the decision, saying the ministers' full support and harsh words towards Ms. Baharav-Miara “testify to the depth of the rift the attorney general has caused in his relations with the government.”
Mr Levin said he would follow due process in dismissing her, but added that he expected her to resign immediately, “as any honest person would do in this situation,” to allow her successor to be chosen without delay. Ms Baharav-Miara was summoned to a cabinet meeting but chose not to appear.
