Israeli Court Blocks Ouster of Attorney General Prosecuting Netanyahu

Israel's High Court of Justice on Monday issued an injunction blocking the ouster of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara after a unanimous Cabinet vote to fire the woman currently prosecuting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for corruption.

"The court noted that no aspect of her position is to be changed until a future decision is handed down, and that the government cannot name a replacement," The Jerusalem Post reported. "The government and Attorney General's Office have until Thursday to respond. A court hearing will take place on the matter within 30 days, or by September 4."

Shortly after the far-right Cabinet's Monday vote, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid party said it formally petitioned the High Court of Justice to intervene, arguing that the "decision was made in an illegal process, bypassing all review mechanisms and intended to harm the independence of the attorney general and subordinate it to a political will."

The advocacy groups Israel Democracy Guard and the Movement for Quality Government in Israel also filed petitions, according to The Times of Israel. The head of the latter organization, Eliad Shraga, said that "this illegal move constitutes an unprecedented attack on the independence of the Attorney General's Office and on the system of checks and balances of Israeli democracy."

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Yariv Levin had initiated the process to dismiss Baharav-Miara back in March. In anticipation of Monday's vote, High Court Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg ruled last month that the attempted ouster would require judicial review and not take effect right away.

Despite the injunction, Axios noted Monday, "several Cabinet ministers said Baharav-Miara will now be boycotted. She'll no longer be invited to meetings, and her legal opinions will be disregarded."

The Post pointed out that thousands of people gathered outside of Baharav-Miara's home on Sunday night to support her and protest what they called "the political and illegal attempt to remove her by those seeking to dismantle Israeli democracy."

Netanyahu has been widely accused of dragging out the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip—condemned around the globe as a genocide targeting Palestinians and the subject of an ongoing International Court of Justice case—in a bid to avoid his legal trouble at home. He faced similar accusations on Monday.

"Understand that every decision Netanyahu makes, whether it's a war whose aims he has failed to achieve, attempts to gut the Israeli Supreme Court, or now illegally firing the AG prosecuting him, are all informed by his singular goal of staying in power," said Alex Zeldin, a columnist for the American Jewish outlet Forward.

Israel's annihilation of Gaza has been carried out with weapons and diplomatic support from the United States. U.S. leaders have also backed Netanyahu as he has faced an Israeli corruption trial for allegations of breach of trust, bribery, and fraud—as well as an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over the mass killing of Palestinians.

In late June, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on social media that Netanyahu's Israeli trial is a "witch hunt." Last month, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee attended a session in Tel Aviv District Court that was cut short due to Israel's airstrikes on Syria, which occurred despite efforts by that country's rulers to appease the Israeli government.