Ben Gvir accuses embattled AG of running fishing expedition against him
Gali Baharav-Miara dismisses far-right police minister’s claim she ordered a subordinate to ‘investigate and find something’ to charge him with
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir accused Gali Baharav-Miara on Monday of engaging in a fishing expedition, claiming that the attorney general had undertaken a search for a legal pretext to take action against him.
Addressing reporters ahead of his far-right Otzma Yehudit party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Ben Gvir claimed that a whistleblower had informed him of a “completely criminal” incident, in which Baharav-Miara sent one of her deputies to the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 serious crimes unit asking to “open a criminal investigation against me for the distribution of weapons.”
After relaying the information that there was no basis for a probe, Ben Gvir claimed, the deputy was then reprimanded by the attorney general, who then “sent another deputy of hers” with instructions to “investigate and find something for me against Minister Ben Gvir.”
The High Court of Justice recently adopted the position of petitioners that the National Security Ministry under Ben Gvir had issued firearms permits without authority.
Baharav-Miara’s office quickly issued a statement asserting Ben Gvir’s claim was invented.
Ben Gvir’s allegations, for which he did not provide proof, came only days after Baharav-Miara told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he must reevaluate Ben Gvir’s tenure, in light of the latter’s repeated and ongoing intervention into operational police matters and his politicization of police promotions.
Baharav-Miara has clashed repeatedly with Ben Gvir over his handling of the police, even declaring a promotion by the far-right minister “illegal” and ordering the police commissioner to halt the dismissal of the force’s top legal adviser.
Netanyahu has warned that Baharav-Miara’s support for the removal of Ben Gvir could spark a constitutional crisis.
Addressing reporters shortly before Ben Gvir, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said that the government’s reported plans to fire Baharav-Mirara would “bring the issue of the prime minister’s recusal back to the table.”
According to Ynet, Netanyahu “is no longer ruling out the dismissal of the attorney general” in the wake of his success in pushing out former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
If Netanyahu fires Baharav-Mirara, it could violate the premier’s conflict of interest arrangement, drafted in 2020 by then-attorney general Avichai Mandelblit. The High Court had ordered Netanyahu to sign off on the arrangement so he could continue to serve as prime minister, while on criminal trial for fraud, bribery, and breach of trust.
Following Ben Gvir’s comments, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Baharav-Miara to resign, accusing her of failing to respect Israeli democracy.
Addressing reporters ahead of his Religious Zionism party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Smotrich accused Baharav-Miara of “encouraging” attacks and “expressions of hatred” against Netanyahu, rather than combating “incitement.”
Smotrich also took aim at Baharav-Miara’s opposition to Sunday’s cabinet decision to force the retirement of ministerial legal advisers who have served for more than seven years, charging that she refused to “respect Israeli democracy and the will of the public and its elected officials.”
Baharav-Miara’s objections were rooted in the desire “only to protect her friends and squeeze millions more shekels into their private pockets at the expense of the citizens of Israel,” Smotrich alleged.
“I hereby call on the attorney general to show integrity and fairness. You are abusing your position and authority to wage a political struggle. If you have a shred of integrity left, resign from the position of attorney general.”
Following the firing of flares at Netanyahu’s Caesarea home on Saturday evening, members of the prime minister’s cabinet raged against Baharav-Miara, issuing renewed calls for her dismissal.
In an incendiary post on X on Sunday, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi of the ruling Likud party, who has clashed with Baharav-Miara in the past, called for her to be fired, while invoking principles of Jewish law associated with attempted murder to justify his position.
“The attorney general must go home today,” Karhi wrote. “If someone comes to kill you — including through weakness and agreement through silence — rise up and fire them,” he said, paraphrasing a line from the Talmud about self-defense: “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill them first.”
Karhi’s words were met with outrage from opposition lawmakers, including Lapid, who accused the communications minister of “openly inciting murder against the attorney general,” and called for him to be fired.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amihai Chikli of Likud similarly slammed Baharav-Miara, claiming that she was preventing the rule of law from being implemented equally across Israeli society.
In a post on X, Chikli demanded the “immediate impeachment” of the attorney general, who he said has caused “unprecedented damage to the rule of law and public order.”
Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.
