Knesset curbs Israel attorney general powers before elections
Israel’s Knesset passed a law letting the government override the attorney general’s legal views and set its own court positions. Opponents immediately challenged the measure at the High Court, while supporters called it a democratic correction.
Knesset Passes Law Splitting Attorney General’s Role, Expanding Government Powers
Coalition passes law gutting attorney general’s powers, removing key check on government
Israel's post-war elections demand a vision for the country's future
Knesset Advances Highly Contentious Bill Weakening Attorney General's Powers
Coalition passes law gutting powers of attorney general, removing key check on government power; Netanyahu skips the vote
Israel’s parliament approved a law Wednesday that sharply reduces the attorney general’s power over the government, advancing a central piece of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial agenda months before elections. The measure passed its final readings 65-51, with Netanyahu absent from the vote. themedialine
The law lets ministers reject legal opinions from the attorney general that are now generally treated as binding on the executive branch. It also allows the government to set its own position in court and hire outside counsel if the attorney general will not defend it. haaretz
Supporters framed the vote as a correction to what they see as an unelected legal office blocking elected officials. Simcha Rothman, the Religious Zionist lawmaker who chairs the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee and steered the bill, said the change restores legal advice to its “natural role” of helping the government carry out policy. ynetnews
Opponents called it one of the most consequential steps in the government’s long-running fight with Israel’s legal establishment. The Jerusalem Post reported that the law is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, after the next election, and that petitions were filed immediately by civil society groups and opposition figures seeking to have the High Court strike it down. haaretz
The final version does not split the attorney general’s criminal prosecution role into a separate office, a provision that appeared in earlier versions and was dropped as the coalition rushed to pass the bill. Rothman said the coalition would pursue that second stage after the election if it wins a mandate. themedialine
The fight centers on a post with unusual weight in Israel’s system: the attorney general advises the cabinet, represents the state in court and helps define the government’s lawful room to act. The Media Line reported that groups including the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and the Israel Bar Association challenged the law after passage, while opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot described it as an attempt to neutralize the state’s gatekeepers. [0]
14 sources
themedialine
Knesset Passes Law Splitting Attorney General’s Role, Expanding Government Powers
Israel’s government will gain broad new powers over its chief legal adviser under a law approved by the Knesset on Wednesday.
timesofisrael
Coalition passes law gutting attorney general’s powers, removing key check on government
Law allows ministers to reject AG's positions, grants government effective control over appointing the AG; Netanyahu skips vote.
jpost
Israel's post-war elections demand a vision for the country's future
Opinion article on Israel's post-war elections.
haaretz
Knesset Advances Highly Contentious Bill Weakening Attorney General's Powers
A key Knesset committee approved the coalition-backed legislation for final Knesset votes.
timesofisrael
Coalition passes law gutting powers of attorney general, removing key check on government power; Netanyahu skips the vote
The Knesset votes 65-51 to pass a law significantly weakening the power of the attorney general.
ch10.co
הכנסת אישרה את החוק להגבלת כוחה של היועמ"שית
Hebrew-language coverage of the Knesset vote.
timesofisrael
Knesset splits controversial bill to erode attorney general’s powers
Legislation split and procedural coverage before final passage.
ynetnews
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Coalition legislative rush before election recess.
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Attorney-General says gov't pushing Israel into a 'race to eliminate democratic institutions'
Attorney general comments on judicial overhaul.
haaretz
The gov't proposal to 'split' the AG's role is a death knell to the rule of law
Editorial on proposal to split the attorney general role.
jpost
Knesset passes law weakening attorney-general's powers
The bill passed in its final second and third readings by a 65-51 vote.
haaretz
Israel's Knesset Passes Contentious Bill to Weaken Role of Attorney General
Haaretz coverage of the contentious bill.
ynetnews
Knesset passes sweeping law allowing government to override attorney general
The measure allows Israel’s government to reject the attorney general’s interpretation of the law and choose its own courtroom representation.
israelnationalnews
Law limiting the Attorney General's powers approved
The Knesset plenum approved, in its second and third readings, the law defining the powers of the Attorney General.