Israeli Attorney General Orders Government Restraint Following Knesset Dissolution

Following the Knesset's approval of the amendment to the Political Parties Financing Law, which sets elections for October 27, 2026, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara informed Government Secretary Yossi Fox that the current government has become a caretaker administration. She emphasized that from now on, the government must exercise restraint and caution in making non-urgent decisions. Baharav-Miara explained that while the government continues to serve until a new one is formed, its scope of action and use of authority differ from a regular government.

The Attorney General cited court rulings mandating that a caretaker government operating before elections must avoid decisions that are not urgent or necessary, to prevent favoring partisan interests over the public good and to avoid creating irreversible situations for the incoming government. The degree of restraint depends on the urgency and necessity of each action. Baharav-Miara instructed ministers and authorized officials to consult their ministry's legal advisors before making decisions outside routine management.

Detailed guidelines will soon be issued to government ministries covering government decisions, secondary legislation, appointments, subsidies, and international agreements. The Attorney General also noted that recent decisions might be reviewed in light of the election period, given political discussions about early elections and the initial approval of the Knesset dissolution bill. She requested that the Secretary disseminate these instructions to all ministers and ensure legal opinions attached to proposals address the caretaker government's limitations and the principles of restraint during the election period.