A stormy session of the Knesset Constitution Committee on Tuesday saw Shas MK Erez Malul launch a fierce personal attack on Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon during debate on structural changes to the Justice Ministry. Malul accused Limon of acting out of political and personal motives, saying he was trying to bring down the government and deepen divisions in Israeli society.
Addressing Limon directly, Malul said, "You are driven by hatred. You want brotherly hatred. You want to break up Israeli society. They promised you that if you break up the government, you will be the next attorney general. That will not happen! There will be elections and the public will have its say. The public is sick of your dictatorship." He also called the dispute over the attorney general’s role a central part of the wider justice reform effort.
Malul argued that splitting the attorney general’s job is necessary because too much power is concentrated in one office. In his view, it is undemocratic for one person to serve both as the government’s lawyer and as the official who can prosecute government ministers. He said the current setup creates an inherent conflict of interest and effectively makes the attorney general an unelected, unaccountable "fourth branch" of government.
The bill to split the attorney general’s role already passed its first reading in the plenum earlier this month by 64 votes to 47, after weeks of intensive committee debate. It is now back in the Constitution Committee to be prepared for second and third readings before the Knesset is dissolved. Malul said he hopes the legislation will be approved in the current session.
