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Knesset passes attorney general curbs
Israel’s Knesset approved a law curbing the authority of the attorney general on Wednesday night, with the plenum voting 65-51 to restrict the office’s power.
“The Knesset plenum voted 65-51 to approve a law restricting the authority of the attorney general”
The law strips the binding nature of the attorney general’s legal opinions, and it also gives the government authority to represent its position in court even if it differs from the attorney general.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin of the Likud Party praised the passage as “a necessary step to restore the ability to govern to the elected echelon,” and Simcha Rothman posted the final vote on X in celebration.
Opposition figures immediately moved to challenge the change, with Gilad Kariv saying, “The law will crush the system of checks and balances.”
Opposition petitions and legal warnings
The legislation passed in its second and third readings by 61-51 votes, according to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, and it was described by Channel 12 as part of a judicial overhaul measure backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.
The bill’s main provision strips legal opinions issued by the attorney general of binding status, and it also authorizes the government to appoint outside counsel at state expense if the attorney general declines to represent the government’s position.
During the legislative process, Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon warned that what began as a proposed division of the office had become its effective elimination, as critics argued the change reduces a key restraint on executive power.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel filed a petition with the Supreme Court challenging the legislation, arguing that it endangers human rights, weakens the rule of law and undermines a key safeguard against the unlawful exercise of government authority.
What changes for governance
The Times of Israel said the legislation is set to enter into effect in January 2027, two months after the next elections set for Oct. 27, and it would allow ministers to reject the attorney general’s currently binding legal positions.
“The legislation, which is currently set to enter into effect in January 2027”
The law also would not affect the attorney general’s authority as head of the state prosecution, including decisions on whether to open criminal investigations into senior elected officials, after coalition lawmakers removed those provisions from an earlier version.
The Jerusalem Post reported that petitions were filed with the High Court of Justice immediately after passage by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG), the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, MK Gilad Kariv, and the Zulat Institute, and MQG condemned the legislation as “another link in the chain of the regime overhaul.”
In the meantime, the coalition framed the change as restoring governability, with Rothman calling it “a historic change” that “strengthens Israeli democracy,” while opponents warned the bill could undermine the independence of the law enforcement system.
