Haredi Parties Back Bill to Split Israeli Government Legal Adviser Role Amid Judicial Clash

In the wake of a sharp confrontation between the Israeli government and the Supreme Court over a temporary injunction against the recently passed Detention Law, leaders of the Haredi parties are set to support a bill to split the role of the Government Legal Adviser. This move is viewed within the coalition as part of ongoing judicial reforms just before the Knesset dissolves.

The bill, promoted by Constitution Committee Chair Smotrich Rotman, aims to divide the current centralized position of the Government Legal Adviser, who currently handles legal advice, criminal prosecution, and state representation in courts, into three distinct roles: Government Legal Adviser, Attorney General, and State Representative in courts. Coalition members argue this will create proper separation of powers and strengthen system checks and balances, while the opposition warns it could undermine the independence of legal advice.

All Haredi party leaders, including Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri, United Torah Judaism Chairman Moshe Gafni, and Agudat Yisrael Chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf, are expected to vote in favor of the bill during its final readings. The timing is significant, as the Supreme Court's injunction against the Detention Law is seen as an escalation in the conflict between the judiciary and legislature. The bill has undergone major revisions, including removing provisions about the subordination of legal advisers in government ministries after joint objections by Rotman and Avichai Boaron. The opposition has submitted approximately 14,500 amendments in an effort to delay the legislation's progress.