From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Knesset gives initial ok to bill ending AG’s authority over legal advisers to ministries
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela 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.
The Knesset approves in its initial reading a bill to significantly erode Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s authority over legal advisers to government ministries, in the government’s latest effort to weaken the authority of judicial officials.
The vote saw 58 MKs support the measure and 50 oppose it. The bill will now move to the Knesset House Committee to determine which committee it will be sent to for further discussion.
The bill, sponsored by Likud MK Avichai Boaron, would remove legal advisers working at various ministries from the jurisdiction of the attorney general to “strengthen their status and independence.”
Instead, legal advisers would be subordinate to the directors general of the ministries in which they serve, although they would still be permitted to consult with the attorney general.
“This bill is not an attack on the attorney general system, but an attempt to save it,” says Boaron.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the architect of the judicial overhaul, applauds the bill as one that is “essential for government work,” and which will “remedy the current illogical situation.”
The coalition has been trying unsuccessfully for months to fire Baharav-Miara, accusing her of working against the government and undermining its interests.
The Times of Israel Community.