On Wednesday, the Lavi organization, committed to advocating for civil rights and proper governance in Israel, reached out to Acting Civil Service Commissioner Roi Cahlon with a notice ahead of filing a petition, requesting that he instruct Attorney Gali Baharav-Miara to cease using public resources for personal matters related to her employment status, makor Rishon reported.
The request follows the March 5 request from Justice Minister Yariv Levin to place a resolution expressing no confidence in the Attorney General on the government’s agenda. This request was supported by hundreds of pages of appendices outlining the reasons for the lack of trust and cooperation, which the Minister argues justify terminating her tenure as Attorney General.
Reports indicate that the AG’s office has been preparing a response to address the evidence provided by the Justice Minister, and the Lavi Organization stresses that this is a personal matter regarding Attorney Baharav-Miara’s employment status, not an institutional issue.
Attorney Yosef Ben Baruch, representing the Lavi Organization, remarked, “The prohibition on the private use of public resources is widely accepted, and violations of this principle have previously resulted in disciplinary actions against civil servants. It is unacceptable for taxpayers to finance the handling of the AG’s personal matters, or for public servants to be reassigned from their duties to handle her private affairs.”
The Lavi organization is calling on the Acting Civil Service Commissioner to ensure that public resources are not used for the AG’s personal matters and that any irregularities, should they arise, are met with appropriate disciplinary measures.
The Lavi Organization has pledged to remain vigilant in this matter, in the interest of proper governance and the public good, and, if necessary, to take the issue to the High Court for a resolution.
Minister Levin officially initiated the impeachment process against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara last Wednesday. Levin asserted in a letter that under Baharav-Miara’s leadership, the AG’s institution has transformed into a “tyrannical, violent, and predatory political authority.”
“The current Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, has established a ‘democracy of plunder’ in Israel. While proclaiming democratic values, she has, in practice, trampled the very principles she claims to uphold,” Levin wrote.
Levin addressed his letter to Cabinet Secretary, Attorney Yossi Fuchs, requesting that a proposed resolution be added to the government’s agenda.
“I would like to ask you to place the following proposed resolution on the government’s agenda: The government decides to express no confidence in the Legal Advisor to the Government, Attorney Gali Baharav-Miara, due to her inappropriate conduct and the existence of significant and prolonged differences of opinion between the government and the AG. These disagreements have created a situation that obstructs effective cooperation,” Levin wrote (Justice Minister Levin Launches Move to Oust AG Baharav Miara).
Israel is the only Western democracy in which the same unelected official serves as both legal counsel to the government and Attorney General, ruling over the entire judiciary and law enforcement apparatus, without proper monitoring nor a proper procedure for impeachment.
