Government to hold discussion on potential firing of attorney general on March 23

The cabinet will meet to discuss the potential firing of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on March 23, Hebrew-language media reports.

The discussion on Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s motion of no confidence in the attorney general will reportedly be held at the next cabinet meeting (there is no meeting on Sunday due to the festival of Purim).

Last week, Levin began the process of removing Baharav-Miara from her post, accusing her of having politicized her office and repeatedly thwarting the will of the government.

The attorney general has opposed the government over legislation it has proposed, as well as appointments it has made and actions it has taken, arguing on numerous occasions that its measures have contravened the law and undermined the rule of law in different ways.

Levin, who has long threatened to take action against Baharav-Miara, set in motion various bureaucratic processes required under the law to fire the attorney general.

To fire an attorney general, the justice minister must write to the five-member public committee that appoints the attorney general, detailing the government’s objections to the functioning of the attorney general.

The committee must then hold a hearing for the attorney general to allow her or him to present their position, after which it must issue a recommendation to the government on whether or not to dismiss them.

The government can ignore the committee’s recommendation, although that would weaken its decision if and when it were challenged in the High Court of Justice.