Israel's AG to submit opinion opposing Deri as minister - report

Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara will submit an opinion opposing Aryeh Deri's appointment as minister in the new government, according to Monday reports.

Deri, the leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, was appointed as the head of the interior and health ministries, despite his criminal convictions. 

In November, reports emerged that Baharav-Miara would block Deri's appointment due to Israel's Basic Law preventing individuals sentenced to prison from serving as ministers for seven years. While seven years have passed since Deri's 2000 sentence following his bribery conviction, he was given a 12-month suspended sentence in 2022 for tax fraud. 

The law was changed shortly before the 37th government was sworn in. The so-called "Deri law" loosened the eligibility to become a minister to someone who did not actually serve any prison time for a conviction, which is the case with Deri.

However, according to reports, Baharav-Miara is expected to publish an opinion tomorrow either opposing the amendment to the Basic Law or stating that the amendment cannot apply retroactively to Deri - but only from now on. 

This came ahead of a Thursday High Court of Justice hearing by an expanded panel against Deri's appointment. The petitions claim that Deri is ineligible to serve due to his repeated convictions, of which he has multiple. 

If the court accepts the opinion, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must remove Deri from his ministerial positions.