Netanyahu leaves cabinet meeting as Levin pushes for spyware inquest

Ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting have reportedly been presented with an opinion from the office of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara reiterating its opposition to the creation of a commission of inquiry that would probe the alleged illicit use of spyware by law enforcement in ongoing cases, including those related to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, thought to be one of the main targets of the investigation.

Netanyahu recuses himself and leaves the meeting, putting Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who has pushed for the commission, in charge, according to Hebrew media reports.

At the meeting, Levin reportedly tells Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon that the AG’s office’s opinion is “curtailing human rights.”

But when Limon asks that the inquiry only be mandated to look at closed cases, Levin rejects a blanket exemption on open cases, according to reports.