Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Thursday accused Justice Minister Yariv Levin of undermining the judiciary by assuming “out of thin air” the authority to veto judicial appointments.

In a court filing on a petition by anti-corruption non-profit Movement for Quality Government, Baharav-Miara said Levin’s refusal to convene the Judicial Selection Committee to appoint new judges was harming the public interest because it hampered the ability of the courts to function and caused them to delay rulings, even in urgent cases. The anti-corruption watchdog has petitioned the Supreme Court to order Levin to convene the Judicial Selection Committee to appoint judges for dozens of empty posts across the country.

The justice minister has failed to convene the nine-member committee since January 2025 and has sought to avoid doing so until after the general election scheduled for this October, when a March 2025 law takes effect increasing increasing political influence over judicial appointments.

In a statement, Levin called Baharav-Miara’s accusation false and claimed he was seeking to appoint judges by “broad consensus” while other Judicial Selection Committee members were stonewalling.

“Baharav-Miara’s claims are false,” said Levin, who as justice minister chairs the committee. “During my time in office, a massive number of about 200 judges have been appointed.”

“For a long time now I have been working........

© The Times of Israel