Netanyahu Ousts His AG, Setting Up Legal Showdown

Benjamin Netanyahu's government voted on Monday to dismiss his attorney general, intensifying a high-stakes clash over judicial independence in Israel, reports the Washington Post. The Israeli cabinet voted unanimously to oust Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who has clashed with Netanyahu over policy—and who happens to be the top prosecutor in his ongoing corruption case. However, the Supreme Court immediately froze the firing as it considers its legality, per the AP.

Baharav-Miara's office called her potential firing "illegal" and said Netanyahu "seeks a legal advisor who will comply with the government's demands and legitimize unlawful actions." A watchdog group, the Movement for Quality Government, had a similar take. "This decision turns the role of the attorney general into a political appointment," it said. "The legal battle will continue until this flawed decision is overturned." The opposition party Yesh Atid filed a petition to block the firing. Cabinet ministers argued they simply "have no confidence" in Baharav-Miara, but critics view the ouster as part of a broader effort by Netanyahu to reshape Israel's judiciary and concentrate power in the hands of his government.