Israel Moves to Fire Attorney General Citing Lack of Trust
Judge Noam Solberg said that process should take place no later than Sept. 4 and in the meantime the government must continue to work with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.
The cabinet's unanimous decision to fire her with immediate effect cited 'substantial and prolonged differences of opinion' between her and the government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not take part in the vote to avoid a conflict of interest —the attorney general oversees state prosecutors involved in his ongoing corruption trial.
Baharav Miara was appointed in 2022 by then-Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who now serves as Netanyahu's foreign minister. He has since blamed her for turning against the government and preventing it from implementing its policies.
The Attorney General has drawn fire from Netanyahu's government for insisting it abide by a court ruling that ends a decades' long exemption for ultra Orthodox Jewish men from serving in the military, causing a rift between Netanyahu and some of his coalition partners.
She also thwarted his appointment of a new head of the Shin Bet security service after he removed the previous chief, arguing this was a conflict of interest because it was investigating his close aids over illegal ties with Qatar. They later agreed that the appointment would be delayed through mid-September.
Netanyahu's opponents view the move to get rid of her as part of a wider attempt to shift more power to the executive branch.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Certified Anti-National": BJP After Top Court Raps Rahul Gandhi Over Army Remarks
New Delhi: As the Supreme Court slammed Rahul Gandhi over his remarks about the Indian Army, the BJP on Monday tore into the Congress leader and alleged that he has vowed to "weaken India and strengthen China". Calling the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha a "certified anti-national", the BJP claimed that the "China guru" (Gandhi) and his party also "hate" the Indian armed forces and that he is being "remote controlled by foreign forces". The ruling party also demanded an apology from him and the Congress for his remarks. The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the proceedings against Gandhi before a Lucknow court over his remarks about the Army during his December 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra. The top court, however, censured Gandhi, saying if he is a true Indian, he would not say such a thing. Citing observations made by a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that for the first time in the parliamentary history of the country, the Supreme Court had to make such a "stern remark" against a leader of the opposition. In a post in Hindi on X, Pradhan said, "Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have a history of insulting the army, whether it is the surgical strike or Operation Sindoor. They have questioned the sacrifices of our brave soldiers at every opportunity." Their loyalty is not to the nation but only to one family, which is why respect for the nation is not even part of their "fundamental thinking", he charged. "Today, the entire country is hurt by this anti-national mentality and expects an apology from Rahul Gandhi and the Congress," the senior BJP leader said. Latching on to the apex court's observations, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that Gandhi keeps making "immatured, irresponsible and anti-India comments" even though he has been rapped by various courts for such remarks in the past. "Today when the Supreme Court's comment has come, it won't be wrong to say that Rahul Gandhi has certainly vowed to weaken India and strengthen China," Bhatia told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here. In a post on X, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said, "The Supreme Court has once again reprimanded 'China Guru' Rahul Gandhi for making irresponsible statements concerning India's national security and territorial integrity." "Imagine, a leader of the opposition being repeatedly rebuked for speaking such recklessly," he said. "Rahul Gandhi is now a certified anti-national," the BJP leader charged in another post on X. Showing a purported picture of Rahul Gandhi signing some document in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, BJP spokesperson Bhatia claimed that the Congress leader had signed a party-to-party memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Communist Party of China. "That's why Rahul Gandhi was saying that our soldiers were thrashed by Chinese soldiers, be it (in) Doklam or Galwan, while every Indian was standing by India and brave soldiers of India," he charged. They never tell the people of India what was there in the Congress' party-to-party MoU with the Communist Party of China, he said. "It seems Rahul Gandhi has love for China and Pakistan in his veins, but no love for India," he added. Bhatia termed the apex court's observations as "very serious" and said with this, Gandhi's credibility has gone down to "zero". "Does India deserve a more responsible and a better Leader of Opposition (LoP)? As the LoP who has taken oath under the Constitution to protect the sovereignty of our country, is he destroying the sovereignty of our country? Is he helping nations that are inimical to our country? Is he demoralising the brave Indian armed forces?" he asked. Rahul Gandhi's credibility is "at stake", Bhatia said. Malviya also took on the Congress leader over his recent "dead" economy remark, calling it "a diplomatic disaster on multiple fronts". "His recent 'dead economy' jibe is just the latest in a long series. In doing so, he implicitly admitted that Russia, a long-standing ally, is struggling, while bizarrely endorsing a hostile state like Pakistan as having a robust economy," he said. Echoing US President Donald Trump's criticism of the Indian economy, Gandhi said on August 1 that everybody except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman know that the country's economy is "dead". Referring to Gandhi's remarks on the surgical strike and Operation Sindoor, another BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Congress leader and his party "hate" Indian armed forces. "Sena ka Apman Congress ki pehchan (Insulting the Army is the hallmark of the Congress)," Poonawalla said in a post on X. "Rahul and Congress hate Indian Armed Forces," he charged, adding, "Today SC has slammed him." Another BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said on X that the Supreme Court's poser to Gandhi about his claim exposed him. He said, "Supreme Court asks Rahul Gandhi - 'How did you know that China had occupied land?'" This question by the Supreme Court has not only "exposed" Gandhi, but further got the attention back on the "secret MoU that Gandhi-Vadra family had with China", he said. "Rahul is working under the remote control of foreign forces," Bhandari charged.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"This Is The New Trend": Top Court On "Affluent Persons" Approaching It Directly
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday censured the practice of affluent persons coming to it directly seeking reliefs in criminal cases as it asked former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and his son to go to the high court in cases probed by central investigating agencies. The matters relate to the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh and other cases. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked the father and son duo why should the top court go into their pleas against FIR, arrest and remand and Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) provisions. The top court asked why did the petitioners not move the high court, which too were constitutional courts and could adjudicate the issue. "This is the problem we are facing. Why can't the high court decide the issue otherwise what is the use of having those courts? This is the new trend, when an affluent person approaches the Supreme Court, we start changing our directions. If this keeps on happening, then ordinary persons and their ordinary lawyers will not have a space in the Supreme Court," the bench said. Bhupesh Baghel and Chitanya Baghel in separate pleas moved the top court challenging coercive action by probe agencies and provisions of the PMLA. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek M Singhvi, appearing for the petitioners, said "this phenomenon of arrest" was happening across the country and investigating agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate was filing piecemeal chargesheets and implicating anybody and arresting everybody. "This cannot go on. People are not named in the FIR or initial chargesheets but suddenly their names crop up in supplementary chargesheet and the person is arrested," Sibal, representing the former chief minister, said. Singhvi, appearing for Baghel's son, said his client was not named in two-three chargesheets but his house was raided all of a sudden in March and he was subsequently arrested after his name featured in one of the supplementary chargesheets. Sibal argued the ED was acting in violation of the law laid down by the top court in its 2022 verdict, which upheld its power to arrest. As a result, Sibal said, the plea challenged the validity of Section 50 and 63 of the PMLA dealing with power of authorities to summon persons, compel the production of documents and record evidence during investigations and punishment for giving false statements. The bench asked if ED was not following the law or deviated from the procedure, did anyone bring it to court's notice or challenge the actions of the probe agencies. The bench said the apex court has previously held that further probe after filing of the chargesheet could only happen with the permission of the court. "There are instances where law can be valid but the action can be invalid," the bench said and asked both the petitioners to bring the facts to the notice of the high court. The bench pointed out the "intertwined" nature of facts in the pleas, making it difficult to segregate them. On the challenge to Sections 50 and 63 of the PMLA, the bench said both petitioners could file fresh writ petitions and the court would hear them with the pending matters. The top court then allowed them to move the high court, which was asked to accord them expeditious hearing. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju said the former CM was no body to the litigation as he was not named in the FIR or the chargesheet in any of the cases but he still moved the apex court. When Justice Bagchi asked Raju to make a statement that he wouldn't be booked or arrested in future, Raju refused to make any such statement at the moment and said everything depended on the investigation. Justice Bagchi told Raju, "Then you are not clear. We cannot leave a citizen's liberty at lurch. He has a right to challenge the provisions." Investigation agencies including the CBI and ED are probing several cases including coal scam, liquor scam, Mahadev betting app cases, Rice mills cases and DMF scam cases, which allegedly happened during the tenure of Bhupesh Baghel as the chief minister. In July, Chaitanya was arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Chhattisgarh liquor scam.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Netanyahu to convene cabinet as Israel decides next steps in Gaza after ceasefire talks collapse
Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet this week to decide on Israel's next steps in Gaza following the collapse of indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas, with one senior Israeli source suggesting more force could be an option. Last Saturday, during a visit to the country, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had said he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza. But Israeli officials have also floated ideas including expanding the military offensive in Gaza and annexing parts of the shattered enclave. The failed ceasefire talks in Doha had aimed to clinch agreements on a U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day truce, during which aid would be flown into Gaza and half of the hostages Hamas is holding would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel. After Netanyahu met Witkoff last Thursday, a senior Israeli official said that "an understanding was emerging between Washington and Israel," of a need to shift from a truce to a comprehensive deal that would "release all the hostages, disarm Hamas, and demilitarize the Gaza Strip," - Israel's key conditions for ending the war. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday that the envoy's visit was seen in Israel as "very significant." But later on Sunday, the Israeli official signalled that pursuit of a deal would be pointless, threatening more force: "An understanding is emerging that Hamas is not interested in a deal and therefore the prime minister is pushing to release the hostages while pressing for military defeat. Israel's Channel 12 on Monday cited an official from his office as saying that Netanyahu was inclining towards expanding the offensive and seizing the entire Palestinian enclave. "Strategic clarity" What a "military defeat" might mean, however, is up for debate within the Israeli leadership. Some Israeli officials have suggested that Israel might declare it was annexing parts of Gaza as a means to pressure the militant group. Others, like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir want to see Israel impose military rule in Gaza before annexing it and re-establishing the Jewish settlements Israel evicted 20 years ago. The Israeli military, which has pushed back at such ideas throughout the war, was expected on Tuesday to present alternatives that include extending into areas of Gaza where it has not yet operated, according to two defence officials. While some in the political leadership are pushing for expanding the offensive, the military is concerned that doing so will endanger the 20 hostages who are still alive, the officials said. Israeli Army Radio reported on Monday that military chief Eyal Zamir has become increasingly frustrated with what he describes as a lack of strategic clarity by the political leadership, concerned about being dragged into a war of attrition with Hamas militants. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the report but said that the military has plans in store. "We have different ways to fight the terror organization, and that's what the army does," Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said. On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which included a call on Hamas to hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. Hamas has repeatedly said it won't lay down arms. But it has told mediators it was willing to quit governance in Gaza for a non-partisan ruling body, according to three Hamas officials. It insists that the post-war Gaza arrangement must be agreed upon among the Palestinians themselves and not dictated by foreign powers. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar suggested on Monday that the gaps were still too wide to bridge. "We would like to have all our hostages back. We would like to see the end of this war. We always prefer to get there by diplomatic means, if possible. But of course, the big question is, what will be the conditions for the end of the war?" he told journalists in Jerusalem.
