Civil Service Commissioner opposes minister’s pick for interim state attorney

Civil Service Commissioner Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz informs Justice Minister Amir Ohana that his candidate for interim state attorney is not sufficiently qualified for the post.

Rejecting the opinion of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and putting himself on a collision course with judicial officials, Ohana had announced Tuesday that he plans to appoint Central District deputy prosecutor Orly Ginsberg Ben-Ari as interim state prosecutor.

Hershkowitz tells Ohana the appointment would undermine the hierarchy of the state prosecution.

On Monday, Ohana rejected a demand by Hershkowitz that he be consulted over the appointment of the acting state attorney, saying he would press on with the temporary posting regardless.

Hershkowitz had informed Ohana and Mandelblit that by law they must consult with him before appointing a state attorney. But Ohana wrote back saying that he had already discussed the matter with Hershkowitz several times, including at two meetings, during which the names of all candidates were raised. The obligation under law to consult with the commissioner was thus “fulfilled, and when deciding from among the candidates, none of them will be a stranger to you,” Ohana wrote.