Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Sunday ordered a postponement of the tender process for the controversial E1 settlement project, citing concerns that advancing the project during the campaign could be used for electioneering. The move drew a furious reaction from far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who accused her of meddling in the vote.

Baharav-Miara ordered a monthlong postponement of the deadline for submitting bids to build 1,234 housing units in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim, pushing the deadline beyond the October 27 national election.

Gali Baharav-Miara’s office announced the decision “to postpone the deadline for submitting bids by one month, so that this date will fall after election day” in order to “reduce concern over the tender being used for election propaganda.”

Smotrich, a major proponent of the settlement, demanded that Baharav-Miara retract her instructions, accusing her of interfering in the election campaign.

Smotrich also called on Central Elections Committee chairman Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg to “ensure” that the attorney general does not become an “active player” in the election.

“I call on Justice Sohlberg… [to] ensure that the attorney general and her people do not turn into active players in the election campaign in an attempt to back up the left, prevent the right from forming a government, and to enable the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger the existence of the State of Israel,” said Smotrich.

“Gali Baharav-Miara is trying to stop the construction in E1. She is interfering in the election campaign and working for [Yashar party leader] Gadi Eisenkot,” Smotrich claimed in a video posted on X. Eisenkot has criticized the timing........

© The Times of Israel