Israel's Supreme Court Sets Deadline for Attorney General on Election Probe

Israel's Supreme Court has set a deadline for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to respond to a petition filed by the Lavi organization. The organization is challenging alleged restrictions placed by the Attorney General's office on the investigation of Arab Knesset members and their aides. These individuals are suspected of involvement in election bribery and foreign interference in the 26th Knesset elections.

Justice Ruth Ronen ruled on Thursday that the Lavi organization must update the court by Sunday regarding whether they have received a response from Baharav-Miara to their inquiries, which were submitted earlier this week. A decision on how to proceed with the petition will be made thereafter.

The Lavi organization's petition, submitted by attorneys Yitzhak Bam and Avishag Schwartz, argues that the Attorney General has failed to respond to their demands for an unrestricted investigation by the Shin Bet and police. They claim that the Attorney General has imposed conditions that hinder the investigation and that neither Knesset members nor their parliamentary aides possess immunity from criminal investigation.

The organization further contends that requiring evidence to be presented to the Attorney General as a prerequisite for an investigation contravenes the law, court rulings, and previous directives. Lavi stated, "The Attorney General and her staff are thwarting the investigation into election manipulation, just as they thwarted the investigation into the Deputy Chief of Staff, and are preventing the clarification of truth and the collection of evidence at the most critical time. We expect the court to order the Attorney General to act according to the law as soon as possible."