The prosecution of Eli Feldstein comes at a moment when Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara faces unprecedented attacks from within Netanyahu's government.
Her decision to pursue maximum security charges, potentially carrying life sentences, has intensified calls for her removal that began well before this case.
The pressure has multiple fronts: Her office recently opposed a government proposal to regulate retirement packages for legal advisers and force those serving more than seven years to retire by 2024. This move would remove seven ministerial advisers, including Finance Ministry Legal Adviser Asi Messing, who has clashed with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi went so far as to invoke principles of Jewish law associated with attempted murder in calling for her dismissal. After flares were fired near Netanyahu's Caesarea residence, Karhi accused her of "sitting with her arms crossed, granting legitimacy" to anti-government protesters and "bringing Israel closer to disaster."
During a heated cabinet meeting, Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem called government legal advisers "gangsters," while Justice Minister Yariv Levin accused them of "breach of trust for 15 years." National Security Minister Ben Gvir declared that "the legal counsel has declared war on the government."
The Feldstein case appears to be the breaking point. Netanyahu himself described Baharav-Miara's conduct as "combative" and asked Levin to find a "solution." His office later attempted to soften this stance, stating the attorney general's role is to "assist the government in implementing the government's decisions and promoting bills on its behalf, and not the other way around."
The chaotic handling of the Feldstein court proceedings, with constantly changing schedules and locations at the Tel Aviv District Court, has only amplified criticism. As MK Avichai Buaron declared outside the courthouse, it's time "to fix the justice system and first and foremost remove the Attorney General from her position."
With Baharav-Miara also calling for Ben Gvir's position to be reevaluated due to his interference in police matters, and the Movement for Quality Government warning about "dangerous red lines" being crossed in political rhetoric, Israel's top legal official finds herself in an increasingly precarious position.
Will AG Baharav-Miara be able to keep her job despite the continuous crisis of her making? It's anyone guess at this point.
The Times of Israel contributed to this article.
