Netanyahu to High Court: I won’t be involved in top legal appointments
The prime minister made the declaration in response to a petition by the Movement for the Quality of Government in Israel.
By YONAH JEREMY BOBIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on June 30, 2020. (photo credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday formally declared to the High Court of Justice that he would refrain from involvement in appointing replacements for the police chief, the state attorney and Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit, whom he has battled for months.Netanyahu made the declaration in response to a petition by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel.Prior to Wednesday’s declaration, Netanyahu’s lawyer, Yossi Cohen, fought with Mandelblit for months, claiming that the prime minister had a right to be involved in these appointments and that Mandelblit had no authority to block such involvement.More recently, Cohen reportedly changed course in a quiet meeting with the Attorney-General’s Office, but the public declaration to the High Court is far more binding.Still, the recent political deal between the Likud and Blue and White parties prevents Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn from appointing a new state attorney.Further, a joint committee of the two parties is still expected to eventually determine who will replace Moti Cohen as police chief, who has served in a temporary capacity since December 2018, as well as Mandelblit, whose term in office ends in February 2022.Mandelblit is also serving as acting state attorney until a replacement is agreed upon.Since Netanyahu heads the Likud Party, it is presumed that he may still have a powerful role in the above appointments, even if he is never formally in the room when they are being discussed.The bigger question is whether any appointments will take place at all, or whether the current appointees will continue to serve until new elections, due to an inability of the Likud and Blue and White to agree upon compromise candidates.
