Israeli Coalition Advances Controversial Bill to Weaken Attorney General Ahead of Knesset Dissolution

Two days before the Knesset is set to dissolve, the governing coalition in Israel is pushing forward a legislative blitz. Following the approval of the Basic Law on Torah Study and a law freezing arrests of draft-dodging ultra-Orthodox men, as well as a bill to cancel the kosher certification reform, the Knesset plenum will convene Tuesday afternoon to debate and vote on a bill aimed at weakening the Attorney General in its second and third readings.

Last week, Knesset Member Simcha Rothman, chairman of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, split the bill into parts to manage the tight schedule. However, some problematic clauses remain, especially regarding the government's obligation to follow the Attorney General's directives in criminal matters. Ultra-Orthodox parties hope this will indirectly allow bypassing some Attorney General decisions that led to sanctions against draft evaders.

Rothman acknowledged the rushed nature of the legislation but defended the process, noting that some sections are appropriate and can be legislated independently of the split. About a month and a half ago, the Knesset approved in first reading a proposal to split the Attorney General's role into two positions: an independent Attorney General for criminal prosecution and a government legal advisor for administrative and civil law, whose term would coincide with the government's tenure.

Separately, Defense Minister Israel Katz, initially opposed to the bill exempting draft-dodgers from arrest, faced intense pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office to change his stance. Netanyahu promised to attend the vote but ultimately did not appear. Speaker Amir Ohana also refused to personally oversee the contentious vote, citing a diplomatic meeting.

Senior IDF officials have sharply criticized the legislation, arguing that military needs are being sidelined for narrow political interests. They claim the deal with ultra-Orthodox parties ignores professional recommendations and amounts to a political campaign at the expense of the Chief of Staff.