Justice Minister Yariv Levin sparked a political storm after changing the locks to block Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara from her longtime Tel Aviv workspace, deepening Israel’s judicial crisis.
In a dramatic escalation of Israel’s bitter judicial feud, Justice Minister Yariv Levin on Tuesday ordered the locks changed on the Tel Aviv office long used by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, physically barring her from entry.
Levin’s office did not deny the move, bluntly stating: “The locks in the Minister’s Tel Aviv office were indeed changed. The office belongs to the Minister, not to Attorney Baharav-Miara.” In a stinging swipe, the statement accused the Attorney General—already dismissed by government decision—of “puzzling behavior” and attempting unauthorized use of a space that was never hers to claim.
For years, however, the disputed office has served as a satellite workspace for the Attorney General, a practice now abruptly terminated.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid lambasted the act as lawless political thuggery: “While hostages are dying in Gaza and the IDF is fighting for our lives, the Justice Minister is acting like a common criminal, violating clear court rulings. At Israel’s most difficult hour, we have a government of draft-dodgers, corrupt individuals, and lawbreakers.”
The lockout comes just days after the government approved Levin’s proposal to oust Baharav-Miara—Israel’s top legal watchdog—a decision now frozen by the Supreme Court pending petitions against it. The high court’s intervention has set the stage for a full-blown constitutional clash.
With Israel at war abroad and engulfed in a governance crisis at home, the symbolic image of a locked door in Tel Aviv has become the latest flashpoint in the battle over the country’s legal future.
