Ben Gvir bars senior police officer from joining wiretapping hearing; AG, state attorney walk out

A furor breaks out between cabinet ministers and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, during a cabinet discussion on the use of technological forms of wiretapping.

Baharav-Miara decided to attend the meeting and insisted that the head of the police department for investigations and intelligence, Boaz Blatt, be present as the relevant police official to discuss the issue.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reportedly refuses to permit Blatt to be present during the hearing, however, leading Baharav-Miara to leave the hearing before it started, together with State Attorney Amit Aisman.

According to Ynet, Police Commissioner Daniel Levy was also on his way to the cabinet meeting, but decided not to turn up when he heard Blatt had been refused entry.

Ynet cites sources accusing the government of trying to hold “an empty, political debate” on the issue by refusing to allow the relevant law enforcement officials to participate.

“You can’t hold a professional hearing on wiretapping without allowing the police commission or senior police officials responsible for the issue to participate,” the sources said.

The government and the attorney general have been at war since August 2023 over the decision to establish a government commission of inquiry into law enforcement agencies’ use of spyware and wiretapping against Israeli citizens and government officials.

Baharav-Miara has alleged the commission seeks to review aspects of the investigations into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which led to his indictments and his ongoing trial, something she says is unlawful.

The government has strongly rejected the claim that the inquiry would intervene in pending legal proceedings and has accused the attorney general of sabotaging the inquiry.