Israeli Attorney General Urges Restraint in Government Decisions During Election Period

Galit Baharav-Miara, Israel's Attorney General, sent a letter to government ministers on Friday night emphasizing that Israel has officially entered an election period. She instructed the outgoing government to exercise restraint and caution in decision-making until a new government is formed. This follows the approval of the amendment to the Political Parties Financing Law and the Knesset's recess ahead of the upcoming elections scheduled for October 27, 2026.

Baharav-Miara highlighted that although the current government continues as a caretaker administration, its scope of action is more limited compared to a regular government. She referenced Supreme Court rulings mandating that caretaker governments must act with restraint, especially regarding non-urgent decisions. The Attorney General noted that the more essential a government action is, the less restraint is required, and vice versa.

She clarified that no rigid rules can be predetermined and that each decision will be evaluated based on its circumstances, balancing the need for government activity against the obligation to avoid creating irreversible facts that could constrain the incoming government. Accordingly, she instructed that any decision beyond routine management during the election period must undergo prior legal review by the relevant ministry's legal advisor or authorized officials.

Baharav-Miara also announced that detailed guidelines will soon be distributed to government ministries concerning the exercise of powers during the election period. These guidelines will cover appointments, government decisions, secondary legislation, subsidies, international agreements, and other matters. She further noted that recent decisions should also be reviewed in light of the possibility of early elections, which had been anticipated during the political discourse and the process of advancing the law to dissolve the Knesset.