Constitution Committee hosts attorney general and state attorney in rare session

The meeting came amid unprecedented tension between the attorney-general and the government over a series of measures that the AG has deemed "not legally viable."

By ELIAV BREUER NOVEMBER 18, 2024 14:05 Updated: NOVEMBER 18, 2024 14:06

Israeli attorney general Gali Baharav Miara attends a farewell ceremony in honor of Chief of police Kobi Shabtai, at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, on July 14, 2024. (photo credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The Knesset Constitution Committee convened on Monday a meeting with the rare attendance of both Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Eisman on the topic of the government's attempt to counter organized crime in Israel.

The meeting came amid unprecedented tension between the attorney-general and the government over a series of measures that the AG has deemed "not legally viable," and the government decided to follow through with them regardless.

Likud MK Moshe Saada called on Baharav-Miara to step down over what he said was the "lack of enforcement" on incitement against the prime minister and other crimes and called on the government to fire her if she refused to do so.

Spyware against organized crime 

Sa'ada criticized Baharav-Miara for opposing a government bill to enable the use of spyware against organized crime. The attorney-general has demanded that the bill enable the use of spyware on corruption-related crimes as well.

Ra'am MK Waleed Alhawashla called on the attorney general for a "harsh hand" against organized crime and demanded to know what the government has done on the subject, including if she had met and discussed the matter with the new Israel Police Commissioner.

MK Simcha Rotman, Head of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee leads a committee meeting on the planned judicial reform, at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem on July 4, 2023. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Democrats MK Gilad Kariv accused Rothman of "gaslighting", and argued that Rothman had no real interest in the matter of crime in the Arab sector, but rather wanted to encourage public opposition to the attorney general's office, as part of the government's judicial reform. The responsibility lay at the feet of the National Security Minister, not the attorney general, Kariv said.

MK Tally Gotliv (Likud) accused the attorney general of "not succeeding in fighting crime in the Arab sector" because she was "busy tripping up the government."