Attorney General, State Prosecutor boycott Justice Ministry spox
Since Noga Katz-Rapaport took office about two years ago, AG Gali Baharav-Miara and Prosecutor Amit Aisman have excluded her from discussions and delayed an introductory conversation
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Prosecutor Amit Aisman are boycotting Noga Katz-Rappaport, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, as i24NEWS learned on Wednesday.
The two do not involve her in any case or any matter, in complete contrast to what was customary before her appointment. The situation is so extreme that a considerable amount of time passed before they even agreed to meet with her for a basic introductory conversation after her appointment.
Senior employees in the spokesperson's department received direct instructions from the Attorney General's and State Prosecutor's offices on excluding their direct manager, in spite of her officially managing the spokesperson's department.
About a year ago, the move was explained as follows: the director-general of the ministry appointed the person he wanted for the position, and the legal advisor and the state attorney immediately responded accordingly. The spokesperson is completely excluded from both of these offices, even though there is "nothing personal against her."
The Attorney General and the State Prosecutor chose not to comment.
Since the current government took office, there has been significant tension between Baharav-Miara and the government ministers who are calling for her dismissal. Last March, Justice Minister Yariv Levin initiated proceedings aimed at removing her from her position. Levin approached the Ministerial Committee on her matter to hold a pre-dismissal hearing.
To dismiss her, the government was required to present the decision to the Advisory Committee for Senior Civil Service Appointments, currently chaired by former Supreme Court President Asher Grunis. However, this committee is currently inactive because it is operating with a missing member, and therefore Levin sought to bypass it by establishing a special ministerial committee on the matter of removing Baharav-Miara.
"The government failed to establish a professional public committee to support the termination of the attorney general’s term as required, and only afterwards promoted a complete political takeover of the process," a statement on behalf of Baharav-Miara said.
"The decision I initiated to establish a ministerial committee that will hold a hearing for the legal advisor and is authorized to bring before the government a proposal for her dismissal is not only legal but also necessary. I trust [Diaspora Affairs] Minister [Amichai] Chikli and the members of the committee to complete the required procedures. The government of Israel deserves legal counsel that is impartial, professional, objective, and without conflicts of interest," Levin said.