Israel’s judicial system and political establishment have been on high alert in recent days amid the constitutional crisis surrounding the investigation into the so‑called “MAG affair.” A key moment in the case is expected Tuesday when the Supreme Court of Israel will review two opposing petitions related to the investigation of former military advocate general Yifat Tomer‑Yerushalmi. The petitions involve calls to remove Attorney General Gali Baharav‑Miara from overseeing the probe and to annul the appointment of retired judge Asher Kula to take over that role.
The hearing will be held at 9 a.m. before Justices Yael Willner, Alex Stein and Gila Canfy-Steinitz.
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Yariv Levin, Gali Baharav-Miara and Simcha Rothman
(Photo: Rafi Kutz, Yair Sagi, Alex Kolomoisky)
Meanwhile, the Knesset’s Constitution Committee has decided to accelerate debate starting Monday on legislation to split the Attorney General’s duties. According to coalition sources, Committee Chair Simcha Rothman plans to fast‑track the bill, which seeks to divide the post into three distinct roles: government legal adviser, general prosecutor and state representative in courts. Rothman argued that the current concentration of powers “does not exist in any democratic country” and jeopardizes both governance and public trust.
He added, “I did not want to pass this law in a hurry, but we will proceed according to the needs of the hour. It is unacceptable for one person to hold all the strings.” He further explained that the long‑standing failure to address this imbalance has only deepened the damage to democracy. “We are correcting the distortion. The essential need to separate the Attorney General’s functions stems from the institutional conflicts of interest and the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of someone who is neither an elected official nor accountable to the public.”
Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a supporter of the bill, said the accelerated effort is enhanced by the latest confrontation with Baharav‑Miara. He accused the attorney general of systematically opposing the government: “More than once even the Supreme Court in its one‑sided position made more moderate decisions than hers.”
Levin was represented Tuesday in the Supreme Court by personal attorney Zion Amir. “The government of Israel lacks legal representation for most of the petitions,” Levin said during the debate on splitting the Attorney General role. “As justice minister I file petitions in the unrepresented division, while the state has a full array of prosecutors who, instead of serving the elected government, represent the opposition benches. The Attorney General’s office has been corrupted in all directions during the tenure of the dismissed attorney general.”
Baharav‑Miara, who has announced she will oversee the MAG‑affair investigation, sparked Levin’s opposition when he declared she was barred from involvement due to her personal entanglement. Since the scandal broke, coalition members have accused the attorney general of being involved in its cover‑up, despite no proof that she had knowledge of or participation in it.