Two months ago, the Chotam and Bochrim B’Mishpacha organizations submitted a petition to the Jerusalem District Court against Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Mirara and the Justice Ministry, demanding to reveal the number of times a government entity was forced to request alternative legal representation.
The goal of the petition is to reveal how often Baharav-Miara, who was hired to represent the government, presented a stance contrary to that of the government – forcing ministers to request private legal counsel.
The petition was filed after the organizations requested the data several times under the Freedom of Information Law but did not receive a response.
Michael Puah, the chairman of Bochrim B’Mishpacha, said: “Attorney-General Baharav-Miara behaves in a confrontational way, not only towards the Israeli government but also toward Am Yisrael. Her contempt for the law, as is evident from her conduct, is disgraceful. It is time to dismiss her and appoint an attorney-general who has the interests of the state of Israel and Am Yisrael in mind.”
In the wake of the recent outcry against Baharav-Miara after she was forced to appear in the Knesset per the law, including a huge banner slamming her lack of action against the constant incitement against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and members of his government, some leftists paid for full-page ads in support of the attorney general. The ads, which appeared in Israel’s major newspapers on Wednesday morning, featured a photo of Baharav-Miara and stated: “Continue to preserve the rule of law for all of us.”
Chareidi businessman Yaakov Halperin heaped scorn on the leftists who paid for the ads but hid their identities by signing – “Israel’s Business Forum.”
Speaking on Army Radio on Wednesday, Halperin said: “The ‘Business Forum’ doesn’t exist. It’s a few individuals who decided to take a crown for themselves. What’s the problem? Because I also have a business and others have businesses – but they included us in [the ‘forum’]. What did they do in the newspaper ads? They established that the attorney-general represents the ‘Business Forum.’ By what authority do you crown yourselves as a ‘Business Forum’?
Army Radio: “Or they could just put their business logos on it.”
Halperin (laughing): “Of course, they won’t do that because they’re afraid. These are people who took a scepter that doesn’t belong to them and included all of us in it. There’s no such thing as the ‘Business Forum’ – check the Companies Registrar, check the Nonprofits Registrar.”
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana wrote: “I have news for the ‘Business Forum.’ She doesn’t guard the rule of law, nor for the sake of ‘all of us’ – rather, it guards the rule of the jurists, and those who have not yet come to terms with the idea of democracy.”
“The law is established by the legislative authority (the Knesset) through a decision made by the lawmakers’ (Knesset members) majority vote, who represent the sovereign (the people).
“It is possible to object to laws or lawmakers, and if the public wishes to replace its representatives, whether it is disgusted by their legislation, their actions, their behavior, or the color of their eyes – it has the right and opportunity to do so periodically.
“The rule of the jurists, who have taken powers and authority that the legislator or the public has never granted them, cannot be replaced by the public.
“And therefore, democracy is:
Yes to the rule of law.
No to the rule of jurists.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
Miara is an embarrassment and ought to be removed as Atty General. Judicial reform is urgently needed. The Judiciary must not be allowed to predominate over the elected branches of government – for it to so predominate is not democratic. The PM ought to be able to appoint an AG of his choosing. with the consent of the Knesset. The judiciary should not be able to overturn laws because it deems them simply as “unreasonable” (i.e., because it merely has a different policy preference). Further, it should be made clear that there are areas where the judiciary lacks jurisdiction, such as IDF or police actions needed to defend against terrorism and to defend public safety.