Israeli Attorney General Seeks Fourth Delay in Supreme Court Over Incitement Unit Dispute

The Israeli Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, has requested a fourth postponement to submit her position to the Supreme Court regarding the controversial incitement unit within the police. The latest delay request, submitted recently, cites the summer recess and the unavailability of key personnel as reasons for needing more time to prepare a response.

This ongoing legal battle centers on the suspension of the incitement unit's operations, a move that the Attorney General's office supports but has angered police officials. Senior police sources accuse the Attorney General of deliberately stalling, claiming the freeze on the unit has already achieved its intended effect by sidelining Senior Superintendent Udi Ronen, the unit's head, who refused to align with the Attorney General's stance.

Ronen's lawyer, Michael Dvorin, stated that the Attorney General and other officials have effectively used the court process to pressure the police chief to cancel Ronen's appointment. He criticized the delays as a tactic to avoid truthful responses to the court, noting that Ronen has been suspended and barred from preparing further expulsion requests, which he argues undermines public security.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir condemned the Attorney General and the prosecution for obstructing investigations into incitement to terrorism and accused them of intentionally harming Israel's security. He warned that his party, Otzma Yehudit, will not join the next government without a full judicial reform commitment to restore power to elected officials and governance to the people.

The case remains unresolved as the Supreme Court awaits the Attorney General's formal response, now delayed until after the summer recess, prolonging the legal uncertainty surrounding the incitement unit's status.