Israeli gov't to advance bill splitting AG role, opening path to reassess Netanyahu trial

The first law to be advanced with the opening of the Knesset's winter session will be the bill to split the role of the Attorney General. This was reported this morning (Monday) on Kan Reshet Bet. The law would allow the government to appoint a new independent prosecutor, separate from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who could reconsider the indictments against Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The bill is expected to go to a vote this Wednesday, and ahead of the vote, there are increasing efforts to convince the ultra-Orthodox parties to end their voting boycott, which was imposed due to the dispute surrounding the Draft Law, in order to enable this legislation to pass.

Last night, the head of the coalition made this request to MK Gafni as well as to the heads of the Shas and United Torah Judaism factions, MKs Maklev and Azulai. The Shas party is expected to discuss the coalition's request in its meeting today to allow only this law to be passed.

As reported last night on Kan News, a political and legal campaign has been intensifying in recent days with the goal of cancelling Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trial, in which he is charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. As hearings in the case resumed, several ministers arrived at the Tel Aviv District Court to demonstrate their support for the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Levin announced that he is moving forward with legislative proposals that would, in effect, allow the trial to be canceled or delayed.

The possibility of a presidential pardon, which U.S. President Trump mentioned during his speech in the Knesset last Monday, is currently not on the table, nor is a plea bargain. The reason: both options require a formal request from Netanyahu and an admission of guilt. Nevertheless, sources close to Netanyahu are not entirely ruling out the idea, likely aiming to create public discourse around the subject.

Under the current legal framework, the only way to halt the trial, which continues slowly amidst frequent delays and cancellations, is through a stay of proceedings. This step would require action from the Attorney General. Baharav-Miara has no intention of promoting a stay of proceedings for Netanyahu, but the government continues to work toward replacing her.