Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi on Tuesday told ministry employees to disregard orders by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, after the government on Monday voted to fire her and the High Court of Justice froze the decision and ordered that she still be adhered to.

“The office of the dismissed attorney general is no longer authorized to issue legal position papers, and if it does so, they have no validity,” wrote Karhi in a letter to Communications Ministry workers.

“You are hereby required not to fulfill legal position papers from the Attorney General’s Office without approval from my office, and to consult with my office in any instance of doubt,” he continued.

His comments directly contradicted an order issued by the High Court of Justice, which froze implementation of the attorney general’s dismissal, instructed the government not to change its working relationship with Baharav-Miara, and stated explicitly that her legal position papers remain valid.

Karhi’s letter was immediately denounced by the opposition, with Democrats MK Gilad Kariv saying it could lead to a constitutional crisis where employees of the ministry will not know whether to obey the minister or the court.

The left-wing lawmaker said Karhi’s letter calls for ministry employees “to knowingly violate the High Court ruling,” and “forces them to choose between the law and the state, and the primaries campaign of an extremist minister.”

“We are a step away from the void of a constitutional crisis,” Kariv added.

Opposition........

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