Israel’s Attorney General has raised concerns about what she described as growing democratic backsliding under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that judicial independence and respect for court rulings are being undermined.
Gali Baharav-Miara, who also serves as the government’s legal adviser, has frequently clashed with Netanyahu’s administration since it came to power in late 2022.
Speaking at a conference of the Israeli Bar Association, she said, “Given the approach of the end of the current Knesset’s term, a race has begun to eliminate democratic institutions,”
She pointed to two proposed pieces of legislation currently moving through the Israeli parliament.
One bill would divide the attorney general’s role by creating a “prosecutor general” position appointed by the justice minister, while another would expand the authority of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir over the police force.
She also criticised what she described as the government’s growing disregard for judicial rulings. “In a situation where the government calls for court rulings not to be obeyed, the day is not far off when a court judgment will be perceived by the public as non-binding,” she said.
Her remarks were partly linked to the ongoing dispute over military conscription for Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, who were previously exempt from service.
Supreme Court of Israel has repeatedly challenged this exemption, and in 2024 ordered the government to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men.
However, Netanyahu’s coalition depends on ultra-Orthodox parties, leading the government to resist ending the exemption.
Baharav-Miara warned that this imbalance creates a legal and civic contradiction, saying it is not sustainable for the state to increase pressure on serving soldiers while allowing widespread draft evasion.
