Attorney General’s Office tasked with overseeing efforts to reach new deal with Ben Gvir on interference with police work

The High Court of Justice decides that efforts to formulate a new agreement between Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir regarding the minister’s influence over the Israel Police will be overseen by a representative from the Attorney General’s Office rather than by a representative of the Prime Minister’s Office.

It says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will instead be able to put a representative of his choice on the team tasked with securing the agreement.

The decision comes after the court told Baharav-Miara and Ben Gvir earlier this month that they must come to a new agreement to curb any undue influence by Ben Gvir on police work, in light of petitions backed by the attorney general to fire him for repeated alleged violations of a commitment to not meddle politically in police work.

The pair were given until May 3 to inform the court if they manage to reach a “framework of principles” on the matter and to elaborate on remaining gaps if they do not reach an agreement.

An initial agreement was finalized between the two in May 2025, but Baharav-Miara alleged just months later that the far-right minister had turned it into a “dead letter” by publicly commenting on ongoing police investigations, intervening in police promotions on political grounds, and seeking to determine operative police policies.

Charlie Summers contributed to this report.