FM Sa’ar says AG’s become ‘political actor,’ gave Levin no choice but to oust her

In a lengthy statement, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says removing the attorney general is “an unusual step,” but that Gali Baharav-Miara’s behavior as attorney general has been “extremely unusual” as well, and justifies the move by Justice Minister Yariv Lavin to initiate her ouster.

Baharav-Miara “has become a full-fledged political actor, working systematically against the government, with the clear aim of toppling it,” Sa’ar says.

“Anyone who wants to topple the government supports her, and vice versa,” he adds, saying this is not an appropriate role for an AG to occupy.

Sa’ar — who, in 2023, denounced Levin’s apparent efforts to oust Baharav-Miara, calling them an extremist threat to the state — describes the office of the attorney general as “dear to my heart.”

He says he was right to support the attorney general’s original appointment, based on the non-activist legal philosophy he says she advocated at the time.

But Baharav-Miara has “changed her approach 180 degrees,” he says, citing her position on two recent legal controversies as evidence.

In the process, the office of the attorney general has “turned into a political institution, which only enjoys the trust of half the nation, in accordance with political affiliation,” he says.

“AG Baharav-Miara left the justice minister no choice,” he declares.

Sa’ar adds that in addition to ousting the attorney general, the government should promote reforming the office of attorney general.