Dr. Avichai Mandelblit, 53, on Monday, 22 Shevat, replaced Yehuda Weinstein as Israel’s Attorney General. The ceremony, which was attended by President Reuven Rivlin, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, outgoing AG Yehuda Weinstein, was held in the Israel Bar Association.

Mandelblit was serving as Cabinet Secretary and is known to be a member of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s inner circle. Dr. Mandelblit, who served in the IDF Advocate General’s Office and rose to the rank of major-general, is known as an expert on Israeli and international law.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Tel Aviv University and a masters and doctorate in law from Bar Ilan University. He is married and the father of six and he resides in Petach Tikvah.

There has been some controversy surrounding his appointment despite his impressive qualification because he is chareidi and he represents another senior appointment from this administration who is shomer Shabbos, eliciting the ire of the elite left-wing and secular camps. He was not born to a frum family but became frum at the age of 26.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)