Members of Israel’s security cabinet are furious with Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara who refuses to delay Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his corruption case despite the new security challenges Israel is facing following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.

Baharav-Miara also refused a previous request to allow Netanyahu to testify twice a week instead of three times a week despite the fact that such a demand is unprecedented.

On Motzei Shabbos, cabinet ministers confronted Baharav-Miara. In the presence of Netanyahu, Minister Itamar Ben Gvir began by saying: “I know that what I say may lead to another investigation against me. It’s a few minutes before midnight. The Prime Minister will be here until the early morning and also tomorrow. This is not just a stubborn refusal to agree to postpone the trial and allow the Prime Minister to manage the systems, but it is recklessness on the part of the Attorney General. Gali is neglecting Israel’s security.”

Justice Minister Yariv Levin supported his statements: “I join Minister Ben Gvir. The Attorney General is not willing to postpone a trial that will continue for years anyway. I demand that you postpone it.”

Minister Miri Regev added: “I want to appeal to the Attorney General’s heart. Even a battalion commander or company commander can delay discussions. The Prime Minister is conducting a war.”

Minister Orit Strook: “Trials have already been postponed because of birthdays for lawyers, defense attorneys, or judges. I request that we raise this as a decision.”

Minister Bezalel Smotrich: “Let’s make a decision.”

Minister Yisrael Katz: “I’m telling you in my style – let’s postpone it.”

Baharav-Miara became furious and demanded the right to speak: “This is not an issue for the cabinet! The Prime Minister has attorneys and they speak on his behalf. This is a political interference. The cabinet must not discuss this.”

Minister Ben-Gvir did not give up: “Now you are also dictating to the cabinet? We will discuss it, and I ask that we make a decision and submit it to the court.”

On Sunday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sent a letter to Baharav-Miara requesting that she respond to the request for a postponement.

Sa’ar wrote: “As someone who sits in cabinet meetings, you are familiar with the security situation, including the recent dramatic developments in Syria. At this time, the government bears a heavy responsibility, and even more so, the Prime Minister. The national interest is to take this into account and allow optimal functioning for the sake of the state and its security.”

Also on Sunday, Smotrich appealed to the director of the court system, Justice Tzachi Oziel, as well as Baharav-Miara, on behalf of the members of the security cabinet, requesting to postpone Netanyahu’s court proceedings in light of the security situation.

“In a cabinet meeting that took place last night, all cabinet members, without any prior coordination, expressed severe criticism regarding the fact that the Prime Minister, in an unprecedented security situation, is required to appear in court three times a week for an entire day, as part of a trial concerning matters from over a decade ago,” Smotrich wrote.

“This reality is all the more serious given the exceptional security situation stemming from the coup that occurred last night in Syria and its direct consequences on the security of the State of Israel. This is of course in addition to the ongoing war in Gaza and seven simultaneous fronts and the heightened sensitivity in the Lebanese arena. In this situation, where the security of the state is at stake, it is vital for the Prime Minister to be completely focused on managing the security campaign.”

“The current situation requires responsible conduct and a deep understanding of national priorities. The fact that the Prime Minister is required to appear in court so frequently, precisely at this critical time, is nothing short of absurd and constitutes a complete dereliction and serious harm to national interests, a loss of basic values of essence versus detail, and disregard for appropriate priorities, especially in light of the national state of emergency we are in.”

Smotrich emphasized: “We want to stress unequivocally – as members of the security cabinet, who are exposed to all information regarding the security situation and its challenges and bear responsibility for the security of Israel, we unequivocally determine that the current conduct constitutes a serious harm to the security of the state.”

He warned: “Anyone who ignores this serious warning may find themselves responsible for security failures, and history will judge them for that. We demand that you reconsider and promptly review the conduct of the judicial system regarding the management of the Prime Minister’s legal proceedings, and find a solution that will allow him to fulfill his central role in leading the State of Israel at this critical time. There is no room for considerations disconnected from reality when the security of the state and national resilience are at stake.”

“We request that you bring this letter for discussion before the panel of judges and invite the relevant officials to present the implications of these matters and the current security aspects confidentially before the judges,” Smotrich concluded.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)