Coalition passes law gutting attorney general’s powers, removing key check on government

The Knesset passed a law on Wednesday, with a 65-51 vote, that significantly weakens the attorney general's powers, a key check on executive authority in Israel. The legislation, set to take effect in January 2027, will allow ministers to reject the attorney general's currently binding legal positions and grant the coalition control over appointments and dismissals for the office. The bill's sponsor, MK Simcha Rothman, called it "a historic change" that "strengthens Israeli democracy." Opposition lawmakers and legal experts, however, argue it will remove constraints on executive power, with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara warning it will "severely undermine the rule of law in Israel." The law's passage followed a minor coalition crisis over funding for Haredi daycare teachers, which was resolved with an additional NIS 39 million ($13 million) in funding.