The Media Line: Israeli Panel Holds Hearing on Possible Dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara 

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Israeli Panel Holds Hearing on Possible Dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara 

By The Media Line Staff 

A ministerial panel convened on Monday at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem to begin proceedings on the possible dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, escalating a long-running dispute between Israel’s government and its top legal officer. The hearing proceeded without Baharav-Miara, who refused to attend, calling the process “a sham hearing with a predetermined outcome” that damages the rule of law and democracy.  

The five-member committee, established in June by cabinet resolution after previous dismissal efforts stalled, was authorized to evaluate whether the attorney general should be removed. Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli heads it and includes key allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who prepared a lengthy dossier against Baharav-Miara, has accused her of systematically obstructing government policy.  

Baharav-Miara has played a key role in overseeing the ongoing corruption trial of Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is charged with fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases. Netanyahu has denied all charges, claiming they are part of a politically motivated witch hunt. The attorney general’s refusal to halt the trial has further fueled tensions between her office and the ruling coalition.  

The government’s attempt to replace Baharav-Miara, appointed by the previous administration, follows ongoing friction since it came to power at the end of 2022. Coalition ministers argue she has defied the cabinet’s agenda and refused to back down despite a no-confidence vote earlier this year. Baharav-Miara, in turn, has objected to what she describes as unlawful and unconstitutional actions by the government, including attempts to derail ongoing criminal proceedings.  

President Isaac Herzog issued a stark warning, urging restraint and describing the political situation as “a roller coaster that’s lost its brakes.” He praised Baharav-Miara for protecting Israel’s international standing during the war in Gaza.  

Earlier, the High Court of Justice declined to freeze the dismissal proceedings, ruling that the committee had not yet made a recommendation. Protesters rallied in Tel Aviv and outside the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem, decrying the process as a political attack on judicial independence.