Israeli PM Netanyahu Rejects Private Legal Representation for Controversial Draft Law in Supreme Court

Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara offered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the option to appoint separate legal counsel to defend the controversial draft law concerning draft dodgers before the Supreme Court. Netanyahu declined the offer, stating he preferred not to have any legal representation at all. This reluctance aligns with his earlier avoidance of voting on the law, reflecting his unwillingness to actively defend it.

Last week, Supreme Court Justice Ofer Grosskopf issued a temporary injunction suspending the law's enforcement due to complex legal issues and prior rulings on the matter. The case is scheduled for a hearing before an expanded panel, to be determined by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, with responses from the respondents due four days before the hearing.

In a private meeting, Netanyahu reportedly admitted that bringing the law to the Knesset was a mistake that caused damage. Although he promised Defense Minister Benny Gantz he would attend the vote on the law, he ultimately chose to be absent from the plenum. Additionally, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana refused to comply with Netanyahu's office's request to personally oversee the contentious vote, citing a need to conduct a "political conversation." The ultra-Orthodox parties also appear resigned to the law's inevitable annulment by the judiciary.