Event Summary
A wide range of civil society organizations in Israel and many leading figures from the business sector have spoken out against the Israeli government’s unanimous decision to dismiss the Attorney General from office on 4 August 2025. This decision marks a further escalation in the ongoing confrontation between the government and its opponents regarding the nature of governance and the political regime in Israel. The dismissal comes in the wake of the AG’s consistent legal and professional opposition to many government actions, including moves that might reduce the scope of action for CSOs, based on concerns that they threaten the democratic character of the Israeli regime.
Her dismissal was approved through a procedure whose legality is in question and will be reviewed by the Supreme Court. The government ignored its own long-standing procedure regulating such dismissals which requires consultation with a special selection committee that had previously reviewed and approved the Attorney General’s candidacy. This procedure exists to ensure the independence of the Attorney General.
The committee, chaired by retired Supreme Court President Asher Grunis, was not convened due to the Justice Minister’s difficulty in assembling a majority within the committee in support of the dismissal. To bypass this obstacle, the government appointed a new special ministerial committee. The committee summoned the Attorney General for two hearings (on June 14 and 17, 2025), which she refused to attend, arguing that the procedure was unlawful, its outcome predetermined, and that it was merely a façade. The committee subsequently decided to dismiss her.
The ministers justified the dismissal by claiming that the Attorney General was obstructing government actions and policies. According to Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the persistent disagreements have led to paralysis in many areas of government activity.
Most legal experts believe that the Supreme Court will strike down the dismissal due to procedural irregularities. In any case, the decision marks a new high point in the intense legal, political, and public struggle that has been unfolding in Israel for the past two and a half years.
Following the decision, civil society organizations filed petitions with the Supreme Court to halt the move, and a wide range of protest events are being planned.