Knesset begins debate on bill to gut powers of attorney general

By Ariela Karmel

You will receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

You will no longer receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

15 July 2026, 11:00 am

Edit

Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on June 9, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Knesset begins debating legislation to significantly weaken the power of the attorney general — one of Israel’s few checks on executive power — ahead of a final vote expected later today.

The legislation would effectively strip the attorney general of authority over the government by allowing ministers to disregard the currently binding legal opinions and decide for themselves whether their actions are lawful.

Additionally it would grant the coalition effective control over appointing and dismissing the person holding the office, replacing the current system under which the cabinet acts on the recommendation of an independent public committee headed by a retired Supreme Court justice.

The bill represents the latest stage of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government’s campaign to weaken the judiciary, which began shortly after the government assumed power in 2023 — including Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, whom coalition leaders have repeatedly accused of thwarting their agenda.

The measure has been fiercely opposed by opposition lawmakers, good-governance watchdogs and Baharav-Miara herself, with critics arguing that the government is seeking to remove one of the few remaining checks on executive power to advance legislation and policies that would otherwise be blocked as unlawful, without proposing any alternative safeguards.

Israel has few institutional checks on executive power compared to many other democracies, lacking a bicameral legislature, representative constituencies, a written constitution, or fixed term limits, making the role of the attorney general particularly significant.

The bill is advancing after the coalition secured passage earlier this week of the key measures demanded by its ultra-Orthodox partners under an agreement between Netanyahu and the Haredi parties, including legislation freezing the arrest and prosecution of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders, a Basic Law declaring Torah study a foundational value, and a repeal of the previous government’s kosher certification reform.

The coalition has now turned to advancing other legislative priorities before the Knesset dissolves on Friday, ahead of the October 27 election, including a bill expanding gender segregation in academia and Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi’s media overhaul bill.