Knesset legal adviser accuses Rothman of threatening him during debate on AG powers

Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee legal adviser Gur Bligh on Monday accused committee chair MK Simcha Rothman of threatening him during the panel’s discussion on the government’s contentious plan to split the role of the attorney general.

During remarks from former Likud minister Dan Meridor, Rothman whispered inaudibly to Bligh, who then loudly told the lawmaker: “You will not threaten me.”

It was unclear what Rothman said to Bligh, though after the legal adviser accused him of threats, he said, “I’m sorry?! What are you yelling at me about?”

Chiming in, Democrats MK Gilad Kariv told Rothman off for threatening Bligh, saying: “Don’t talk like that to the legal adviser, you thug.”

The discussion was briefly paused during the interaction, before order was restored and the meeting resumed without incident.

Rothman, a member of the far-right Religious Zionism party and an architect of the government’s judicial overhaul, has pushed a bill that would split the attorney general’s position into three jobs — legal adviser to the government, prosecutor general, and government representative in the courts — and give the government complete control over appointments to those roles, amid the coalition’s ongoing efforts to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.

עימות סוער בוועדת החוקה: רוטמן לחש לאוזנו של היועץ המשפטי של הוועדה, שהתפרץ – "אתה לא תאיים עליי"@yaara_shapira @diklaaharon pic.twitter.com/EuzPgSzAiC

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 24, 2025

Meridor, a former justice minister who served in several of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinets, said in the committee meeting that the efforts to split the role are part of a wider attempt to “completely change Israel into a non-democratic regime.”

Proponents of the bill to break up the attorney general role say that the position holds too much power and has an inherent conflict of interest.

Critics say the legislation would deal a death blow to the already-sparse system of checks and balances on executive power in Israel.

Coalition lawmakers last month advanced the bill in a 59-44 preliminary vote, pushing the legislation to Rothman’s committee, before it returns to the Knesset plenum for further readings.

The coalition has been trying for months to fire Baharav-Miara, accusing her of working against the government and undermining its interests. She has opposed several of the government’s signature legislative initiatives, including its controversial proposed judicial overhaul, and has refused to defend the government in proceedings in the High Court against some of its policies and legislation.