Ben Gvir claims Israel’s Attorney General is undermining democracy by obstructing ministers and empowering judicial overreach.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir delivered a blistering attack on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara Sunday morning, just hours before she is expected to present her position to the Supreme Court on petitions demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismiss him from office.
Ben Gvir accused Baharav-Miara of abusing her authority and waging a political war against Israel’s elected leadership.
“Gali Baharav-Miara is a criminal who obstructed investigations in cases where the Supreme Court ruled she had a conflict of interest. She fabricates cases against elected officials and openly works to carry out a coup against a democratically elected government,” he charged.
He continued:
“She cancels laws, thwarts decisions, blocks appointments — and now seeks to remove ministers. I will not be deterred from carrying out my duties, backing our soldiers and police, which infuriates her. I will not rest until her actions are investigated. Israel will not become a mafia state.”
The confrontation escalates an already volatile struggle between Israel’s political leadership and the Attorney General’s office, an institution critics argue has amassed unchecked power over elected officials.
In recent days, Prime Minister Netanyahu formally rejected Baharav-Miara’s demand that he prevent what she called Ben Gvir’s “interference in police operations.” In her letter, she claimed the minister’s conduct undermines the Supreme Court’s rationale for permitting his appointment.
Her letter read:
“Minister Ben Gvir is improperly and systematically interfering in the work of the police. Attempts to create safeguards — with the minister’s agreement — have failed. It is no longer possible to defend police independence from his recurring political interference and harm to the rule of law and human rights.”
Supporters of Ben Gvir, however, argue the Attorney General is attempting to override the will of the voters and impose policy through unelected legal channels. They note that Israel is one of the only democracies where legal advisers can block elected officials’ decisions, and they view this clash as part of a long-running struggle over who truly governs the state: the public’s representatives or entrenched bureaucratic elites.
With the Supreme Court now poised to rule on the petitions seeking Ben Gvir’s removal, the confrontation between Israel’s judiciary, Attorney General’s office, and elected leadership is entering its most explosive phase yet.
