Israeli attorney general slams Basic Law amendment designed to protect Netanyahu
Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attacked petitions seeking to annul the Incapacitation Law amendment to the Basic Law.
Baharav-Miara argued that the amendment is designed to protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from potentially being forced out of office if deemed mentally or legally unfit to lead the country.
The attorney general slammed the legal amendment as “an extreme case of abuse of the constituent authority, where the amendment to the Basic Law of the Government before us was made for a distinct personal purpose, with the aim of influencing a pending legal proceeding regarding the question of the constitutionality of the incumbent prime minister.”
Baharav-Miara further called for the Knesset to put a freeze on the “Incapacitation Law” until the next legislative body is elected and in place. She argued that “an opportunity will be given to formulate a broad systemic view, taking into account future-oriented policing, beyond the veil of ignorance.”
In July, the attorney general urged the Supreme Court to address the legal amendments designed to personally benefit Netanyahu.
There have been ongoing political tensions between Netanyahu and the attorney general in recent months.
In March, the attorney general accused the prime minister of violating a conflict-of-interest agreement by getting personally involved in the ongoing judicial reform controversy.
“In doing so, you violated the ruling of the Supreme Court, according to which, as a prime minister accused of crimes, you must refrain from taking actions that give rise to a reasonable fear of the existence of a conflict of interest between your personal interests relating to the criminal proceedings and your role as prime minister,” Baharav-Miara told Netanyahu .
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.