Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara issued a sharp warning to lawmakers on Thursday about what she described as ongoing attempts by some Knesset committees to influence active criminal investigations, on the backdrop of steady tensions between the legal establishment and the current governing coalition.
In letters sent to the legal adviser to the Knesset, Sagit Afik, on Wednesday, and to State Attorney Amit Aisman on Thursday, Baharav-Miara said that enforcement officials are being summoned to parliamentary panels to discuss ongoing criminal cases and investigations in real time, in a manner that she said amounts to interference with the judicial process and could deter public servants from performing their duties.
“These initiatives are, in effect, intended to influence criminal proceedings, to disrupt investigations and to intimidate public employees in the course of their work,” Baharav-Miara wrote.
Concerns over scheduling of public discussions, disrespectful conduct
Her concerns are rooted in what she described as two problematic trends emerging in parliamentary committees: first, the scheduling of public discussions on specific, ongoing criminal cases; and second, conduct that she argued fails to meet basic standards of respect for the legal advice system and the prosecutorial apparatus.
Baharav-Miara emphasized that while parliamentary oversight is a vital part of democratic governance, it traditionally steers clear of intervening in individual criminal matters precisely to avoid exerting pressure on judicial and enforcement processes.
The latest correspondence comes amid a series of high-profile clashes between the attorney-general and lawmakers from the governing coalition.
In recent weeks, committees chaired by coalition members have held hearings that legal officials contend tread too close to ongoing cases. For example, the Knesset National Security Committee discussed the case of police Supt. Rinat Saban, a former lead investigator in Case 4000 whose promotion was blocked by Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has brought an appeal before the High Court of Justice. Coalition MKs pressed law enforcement representatives on the matter in a session that drew sharp protest from legal advisers.
Such incidents have animated a broader backdrop of tension between the attorney-general and members of the current government. Coalition figures have on multiple occasions accused Baharav-Miara of partisanship or dereliction, including in high-profile committee clashes earlier this year, where the attorney-general was accused of failing to answer substantive questions about enforcement policy and was the target of heated criticism from lawmakers.
The current standoff is unfolding against a backdrop of sustained friction between the legal establishment and the executive/legislative branches since the government’s 2023 judicial reform legislation push, which triggered widespread protests and ongoing political conflict.
Baharav-Miara herself has been a focal point of that conflict: in August, the government voted to dismiss her, a move quickly frozen by the High Court of Justice as unlawful.
In her letter, the attorney-general stressed that the rule of law depends on clear boundaries between legislative oversight and judicial independence. Allowing parliamentary forums to probe open criminal investigations, she wrote, could cross that boundary and have a chilling effect on enforcement officials who are called to testify or provide information under what may be perceived as a political spotlight.