From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Knesset panel votes to advance bills that will split and limit AG’s role, make it harder to indict a PM
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Lawmakers on the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee vote 9-0 to advance a pair of controversial bills — which limit the power of the attorney general and make it harder to indict high-ranking government officials — to their first readings in the Knesset plenum.
Following a stormy debate, opposition lawmakers walked out ahead of the final vote, which they argued was illegitimate on procedural grounds, an opinion not shared by the committee’s chairman, Simcha Rothman, or its legal adviser.
One of the bills would split the attorney general’s role into three separate positions, effectively depriving the position of all authority and independence, in a move critics say is intended to weaken the office’s authority and independence and remove a major check on government power, including during upcoming elections.
The second, a proposed amendment to Basic Law: The Government, would make it significantly more difficult to indict senior officials, including the prime minister.
The bill, if passed, would require the attorney general to obtain permission from a district court before opening a criminal investigation into politicians or senior public servants. It would also require the attorney general to get approval from a special committee to file an indictment against such figures.
The Times of Israel Community.