National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Monday of orchestrating politically motivated investigations against him, escalating his ongoing clash with the judiciary.
Speaking at a meeting of his Otzma Yehudit party, Ben-Gvir claimed to expose a "serious criminal scandal," alleging that Baharav-Miara sought to target him for his controversial policy of distributing firearms.
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Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir
(Photo: Menachem Kahana, Nachum Segal)
According to Ben-Gvir, a deputy in the attorney general’s office visited the police’s Lahav 433 anti-corruption unit months ago to initiate a probe into his firearm distribution initiative. When investigators reportedly found no grounds for an inquiry, Ben-Gvir claimed Baharav-Miara demanded a more aggressive approach, allegedly instructing her deputies to "find something" against him.
The Attorney General denied the accusations, calling them baseless and unsupported by evidence. "There is no truth to these claims," Baharav-Miara said in a statement.
In a social media post following his remarks, Ben-Gvir challenged Baharav-Miara to take a lie detector test. "Gali, let’s you and I go to a polygraph," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Ben-Gvir accused the attorney general of weaponizing investigations against politicians, alleging that her actions amount to a "targeted assassination" of his political career. He further claimed she aims to undermine the government and democracy itself, pointing to past investigations of officials close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as evidence.
"She allowed the previous government to do whatever it wanted," Ben-Gvir said. "As a government, we have no choice but to dismiss her. She is persecuting us."
Baharav-Miara, who has frequently clashed with Ben-Gvir and other members of Netanyahu’s coalition, has faced repeated calls for her removal amid accusations of overreach. However, her office insists its actions are strictly professional and impartial.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich launched a scathing attack on the attorney general, accusing her of consistently undermining the government’s agenda. “The hostile conduct led by the attorney general is designed to challenge the government at every turn,” Smotrich said during a Cabinet meeting.
He cited an incident where Baharav-Miara opposed a government decision to limit the tenure of legal advisers to seven years—a policy established in 2009. “As always, she fights decisions to serve her personal interests, protecting her friends and funneling millions of shekels into their pockets at the expense of Israeli citizens,” Smotrich claimed.
Smotrich called on Baharav-Miara to resign, accusing her of abusing her authority for political purposes. “If you have a shred of integrity, step down as attorney general, take off your judicial robes and pursue your political battles in a democratic manner from Kaplan Street,” he said, referring to weekly anti-government protests in Tel Aviv. “Only then can we prevent the erosion of public trust in the justice system and stop the deepening divide among the people.”
A senior government official told Ynet that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had previously resisted efforts to remove Baharav-Miara from her post, may now be reconsidering.
“Something has changed,” the official said. Netanyahu is reportedly emboldened by recent military successes in Gaza and the change of administration in the United States. He also noted the relative calm following the controversial dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier this month.
Advisers close to Netanyahu are urging him to act, describing Baharav-Miara as a “major obstacle” to advancing key legislation, including proposed laws related to military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
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