By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) – The Israeli government unanimously voted on Sunday to withdraw confidence from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, initiating her dismissal process.
“There is no way in which effective cooperation can exist between the attorney general and the government, and there is no way to restore the relationship of trust that no longer exists,” Justice Minister Yariv Levin said following the vote.
“This situation is seriously damaging the functioning of the government and its ability to implement its policies,” Levin added.
During Sunday’s Cabinet session, Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar accused Baharav-Miara of hostility toward the government.
“Everyone sees the attorney general’s antagonism; whenever we form a position, she crafts an opposing one,” he said in comments cited by the Israel Hayom newspaper.
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the justice minister, in an 86-page no-confidence motion, charged that the attorney general’s office “has morphed into an autocratic, aggressive political authority.”
Despite the vote, the government must secure approval from an advisory committee that recommended Baharav-Miara’s appointment to proceed with her ouster.