In an unprecedented step, the cabinet voted unanimously on Sunday in favor of a no-confidence motion against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, in a move designed by the government to hasten her dismissal from office.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who is spearheading the process of ousting the attorney general, said that the move was a result of what he alleged was Baharav-Miara’s “unfitting conduct” and the “substantive, and prolonged differences of opinion” between her and the government which Levin said prevented effective cooperation.

She countered that the government was seeking to place itself above the law, and to operate without checks and balances.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not present for the vote, due to the conflict of interest he has, since he is currently on trial for corruption charges and the attorney general serves as the state’s chief prosecutor.

The decision was roundly condemned by opposition parties, who called into question its legality, and accused Netanyahu of corrupt motivations in his effort to oust her.

Thousands of Israelis protested in Jerusalem against the move as the cabinet met; over 100,000 protested nationwide on Saturday night, amid growing public opposition to the government’s moves.

The bid to fire the attorney general is the latest in a series of steps by the government that critics say is undermining the rule of law in Israel, including a cabinet vote on Thursday to fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, and the rapid advance of contentious legislation as part of a rejuvenated bid to overhaul the judiciary.

Like the decision to fire Bar, the attempt to oust Baharav-Miara is certain to be challenged before the High Court. It is unclear how long the entire dismissal process could take since it has never happened before, but it will likely be several weeks at the least.

Baharav-Miara, who did not attend the cabinet meeting, said in a letter to the cabinet on Sunday that the effort to fire her was born of the government’s fundamental misunderstanding of her role, and insisted it was her job to tell the government when it........

© The Times of Israel