The Israeli cabinet has unanimously backed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s motion to fire his attorney-general, Gali Baharav-Miara, in the culmination of a lengthy political feud between the two.
The move was approved by a vote of ministers after the Supreme Court blocked Netanyahu from dismissing her as a matter of prime ministerial discretion - as was, until now, the established procedure for appointing and firing attorneys-general.
Following that ruling, the government appointed a first of its kind ministerial committee to examine the case, which recommended her dismissal to the cabinet in its report last month.
Critics have claimed that the firing is politically-motivated, as Baharav-Miara has been one of the fovernment’s struanchest critics in the legal establishement.
She and Netanyahu have clashed over issues including the prime minister’s ongoing corruption trial, the Qatargate investigation into allegations that his senior staff were paid to promote Qatari interests in Israel and his (ultimately successful) attempt to force out Shin Bet director Ronen Bar - who resigned in June after a months-long push to fire him.
Netanyahu, though, has previously suggested that Baharav-Miara is part of a "deep state" conspiracy attempting to thwart his right-wing government's policy programme and claimed that his prosecution on corruption charges, as well as the Qatargate-related arrests of some of his aides, as part of a "witch hunt".
Baharav-Miara declined to attend a hearing to defend her position yesterday afternoon, after which the motion passed the cabinet unanimously.
In a statement following the decision, she decried her dismissal as "unlawful".
However, the process of removing her was then immediately frozen by the Supreme Court, which will now launch a judicial review.
The court also prohibited the appointment of a replacement or the change in Baharav-Miara's working conditions and emphasised that her advice to the government still carries legal authority until the matter is resolved. A hearing will be held no later than September 4.
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