Netanyahu barred from reform plans due to corruption accusations

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Israeli occupation Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday that he could not take part in his government's efforts to fundamentally reform the legal and judicial system because "he has conflict of interest due to his ongoing corruption trial."

According to the Times of Israel, the statement evoked a sharp response from Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who accused Baharav-Miara of "herself having a conflict of interest" in opposing the reforms.

Baharav-Miara's warning followed a petition the Movement for Quality Government in "Israel" submitted to the High Court of Justice last month, asking the attorney general to create new conflict-of-interest arrangements for Netanyahu after he took over as prime minister again in January.

"In your role as Prime Minister, you must refrain from initiatives involving the legal system within the framework known as 'the legal reform,'" Baharav-Miara wrote in a letter that was published on Thursday.

"This is due to the reasonable suspicion of a conflict of interests between issues pertaining to the legal proceedings against you, and the array of legislative initiatives and their substantive components" that the government is "advancing in its package of legal reforms," she said. "This includes any direct or indirect action or instruction through others, including the involvement of officials serving in your office as political appointees."

In the event that Netanyahu is convicted of corruption in the ongoing trial in the District Court of occupied, "he would be able to appeal the conviction to the Supreme Court, to which his government is likely to make appointments during its tenure," The Times of Israel said.

Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Levin strongly criticized Baharav-Miara's letter.

In January, Baharav-Miara filed an opinion with the High Court stating that a conflict of interest agreement drawn up by her predecessor Avichai Mandelblit in 2020 for Netanyahu was still in effect.

Under the arrangement, Netanyahu cannot involve himself in any issues that affect witnesses or other defendants in his trial or in legislation that would impact the legal proceedings against him.

Also, he cannot be involved in any matters related to the status of several top police and prosecution officials, in several fields under the responsibility of the Communications Ministry or in the Judicial Selection Committee.

It is worth noting that political divisions in "Israel" between the government and the opposition are escalating in light of the exchange of accusations of responsibility for the possible outbreak of an "internal war", as "Israel" is witnessing demonstrations by thousands of settlers against the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli settlers took to the streets in protest of changes to the Israeli "judicial" system that Benjamin Netanyahu's government proposed.

The demonstrators repeated chants against the new Israeli occupation government and some of its extremist ministers, such as Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, as per Israeli media.

Read: 'Israel' divided: Supreme Court rebuffs 'judicial reform' plan