After Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced this morning (Sunday) to the Government Legal Advisor, in a letter he sent, that she does not properly represent him and that he demands independent representation, Yesh Atid responds to the minister's demand: "Levin's tricks are a fatal injury to the legal system and to the citizens of Israel."
In Yesh Atid, they said, "Justice Minister Yariv Levin will do everything to avoid convening the committee for the appointment of judges and fulfilling his role as minister. Thousands of cases are piling up, citizens are harmed, but Levin is only interested in one thing - to dismantle the judiciary, politicize everything, and tear apart Israeli society."
In Yesh Atid, they concluded: "We have submitted the petition, and we will not agree to postpone the discussion. Levin's exercises are a humanitarian harm to the judicial system and the citizens of Israel." The Movement for Quality Government in Israel also responded, writing: "This is a simple administrative petition on a lack of authority and contrary to the law. The fundamental principles established in a long line of past rulings are that the government and its ministers are represented by the legal advisor to the government, and only her."
The legal advisor to Levin: "This is the role of the legal counsel to the government."
As previously reported, about a week ago, Gali Baharav-Miara, responded to Levin's letter and wrote: "There is a mistaken impression that the government's legal counsel under my leadership does not consistently, diligently, professionally, and in accordance with the government's policy promote its interests. The reality is entirely different."
"The role of the government's legal counsel is to assist the government within the bounds of the law, and the legal counsel to the government operates hand in hand with every government to advance governmental activities in all of its components. This is true, of course, in relation to the current government as well."
However, Miara clarified that "the professional duty of the government's legal counsel is to alert the government to actions contrary to the law. This is the meaning of safeguarding the threshold - it is the role of the government's legal counsel. Canceling or ignoring the threshold safeguard component in the role of the government's legal counsel, for example, by remaining silent when the government acts contrary to the law, severely undermines the rule of law."
"The government's legal counsel, under my leadership, will continue to fulfill its role of assisting the government in implementing its policy within the bounds of the law and will strive, as much as possible, to provide legal solutions to advance government actions, even when legal issues arise," the Attorney General added.
The Attorney General: "This is an illegitimate expectation"
"However, the expectation that the Legal Advisor to the Government will deviate from his role and refrain from voicing legal opinions on significant legal matters in court proceedings, or will shy away from fulfilling the role of a legal guardian, is an illegitimate expectation. Compliance with such an expectation would severely damage the rule of law, the integrity of the government's work, and essentially the public interest."
Today, Minister Levin responded to the Attorney General's letter and wrote: "I hereby completely reject everything mentioned in your letter, and I can only reiterate what I wrote in my letters to you on August 30, 2023, which speaks for itself."
Levin added: "Given the current situation that you have created, as well as your extreme and unreasonable positions that deviate from the government's stance, and in response to the question you raised regarding the representation of the government in the ongoing appeals, I must inform you that this time as well, I will demand independent representation. The role of the Legal Advisor to the Government is to represent the government and its members, not to compel them repeatedly to seek independent representation."
