Israel's cabinet on Sunday unanimously voted to back a motion of "no confidence" against attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara, who has often clashed with the current government.
Hundreds of Israelis took part in the demonstrations held in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet move. Protesters raised slogans against Netanyahu and criticised the government for “destroying democracy”.
Meanwhile, the ‘no confidence’ motion move comes after the cabinet approved the removal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar last week.
Also, the families and supporters of the hostages, who are still held in Gaza, slammed the government for neglecting their loved ones. “We are here to make it clear that Israel is a democracy and will remain a democracy...We will overtake this government because it is ruining Israel,” Uri Ash, who was taking part in a protest in Tel Aviv, told Reuters.
Also read | Who is Ronen Bar? Israel’s top court halts Netanyahu’s dismissal of intelligence chief
The process of dismissing Baharav-Miara began earlier this month by Justice Minister Yair Levin. He accused the AG of politicising her office and obstructing the government. However, any step to remove the AG would take a few months due to the administrative hurdles.
The dismissal of Bar was approved by the cabinet despite Baharav-Miara’s objections. In a setback to the Netanyahu government, the Supreme Court has passed a temporary injunction to Bar’s dismissal.
Ahead of the meeting, Baharav-Miara wrote a scathing letter to the cabinet saying the government is trying to be above the law. “We will not be deterred...The termination of the Attorney General's term is a very unusual step, which must be done in an orderly process, to guarantee maintaining the independence of the Attorney General to the government," she wrote.
“The current proposed resolution reverses the current situation. Cases in which the government sought to act illegally, even while harming the general public, are presented as 'disagreements' that constitute grounds for dismissal. The goal is clear – to turn the institution of the Attorney General into one that must remain silent in the face of illegal actions, or even lend a hand to them. Otherwise, we are threatened with grounds for terminating the position," said the Attorney General.