The Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved on Sunday a highly controversial bill for its second and third readings in Knesset, which will drastically weaken the attorney general’s authority and ability to act as a check on government power.

The legislation, if passed, will enable the government to reject the attorney general’s legal opinion on a given issue by deeming it inconsistent with the existing law, unlike the current situation, whereby the attorney general’s legal positions are binding on the government.

The override mechanism will enable the government to decide for itself if a specific action or decision is legal, sparking alarm from critics including Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara herself, who warned the legislation will violate the rule of law. 

The legislation was the latest step advanced by the ruling coalition to diminish Baharav-Miara’s authority amid repeated power struggles between her and various members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, chiefly over its efforts to assert control over Israel’s judiciary.

The coalition voted to oust Baharav-Miara from her position in August 2025, but the High Court of Justice annulled the decision to fire her on procedural grounds in a decision handed down at the end of the year.

With all its far reaching consequences, this bill will not allow the government to throw out the attorney general’s decisions on criminal matters, as head of the state prosecution.

In addition to letting........

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