What was Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara occupied with on Wednesday of this week—while millions of Israelis were running for their lives in and out of bomb shelters as cluster bombs flew over their heads from Iran and Lebanon?

Baharav-Miara continued her usual daily efforts to sow chaos in Israeli society and bring down the government, filing an unusual petition to the Supreme Court, demanding that it issue an order requiring Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to dismiss National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from office. Her petition comes after the Supreme Court issued a conditional order last month instructing Netanyahu to explain why he has not dismissed Ben Gvir. The Supreme Court hearing on the matter was postponed and is scheduled to take place before the end of March.

Baharav-Miara’s move was not only slammed by coalition members but by opposition members as well, who were appalled by her divisive behavior during wartime.

The Prime Minister’s office stated, “It is inconceivable that in the midst of an existential war against Iran, led by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Attorney General is asking the Supreme Court to issue a binding order requiring the Prime Minister to dismiss the National Security Minister, who is responsible for internal security during wartime.”

“The Attorney General’s request to dismiss a senior government minister, when a criminal investigation has not even been opened against him, undermines the foundations of democracy, shatters the principle of separation of powers, and contradicts the Basic Law: The Government. As the Prime Minister already announced several weeks ago, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir will remain in office.”

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated, “I strongly reject the Attorney General’s petition to the Supreme Court seeking an order to dismiss National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from his position. Beyond the principled issue, this is not the time to deal with such matters during one of the most important and complex wars in Israel’s history, involving a minister who is a central participant in decision-making and in maintaining internal security. Israel now needs unity—and preserving that unity requires responsibility from everyone.”

Justice Minister Yariv Levin declared, “The dismissed Attorney General hasn’t stopped harming the government’s work for a moment, even during wartime.”

“The hearing taking place in the Supreme Court regarding the dismissal of Minister Ben Gvir is illegal. No judge or legal adviser has the authority to replace the Knesset and the Prime Minister and decide who will serve as a minister. Minister Ben Gvir, like all government ministers, was chosen for his position through a proper democratic process, and we all stand behind him and are committed to his continued service in the government.”

“The fact that Attorney Baharav-Miara chooses to focus on this matter at such a time once again proves that she is unfit to hold any position. Her presence interferes with the war effort. The entire government must stand behind the unanimous decision already made to dismiss her and send her—along with her political legal opinions—to the meetings of the opposition leaders.”

MK Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beiteinu) stated, “Regardless of the substance of the issue, the timing of the Attorney General’s request for the Supreme Court to issue an order dismissing Ben Gvir is disconnected and utterly unreasonable.”

“Israel is in a fateful war, Israeli citizens are in shelters, and our pilots are in the skies over Tehran. No one should now be dealing with divisive issues that could split the nation. Am Yisrael must be united against the common enemy, which is the Iranian regime—for those who may have forgotten.”

Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot stated, “We need public resilience and national unity during this historic and just war for Israel. At this time, Israeli leadership is expected to act only to strengthen national consensus.”

Ben Gvir’s office stated in response: “At a time when Israel is fighting one of the most critical wars in its history, a dismissed and criminal bureaucrat is trying to carry out a governmental coup in a democratic state and remove an elected official.”

“There is no precedent in democratic countries for a civil servant to dismiss an elected official. Gali Baharav-Miara seems to think we are living in Iran, and soon she and her fellow bureaucrats will set up Revolutionary Guards here. Democracy will prevail!!

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)