Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has expressed serious concerns about what she described as growing democratic backsliding in the country under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Speaking at a conference of the Israeli Bar Association in Eilat, she warned that there is an accelerating effort to weaken democratic institutions as the current Knesset term nears its end.

According to her, this trend is particularly visible in the relationship between the executive branch and the judiciary, especially regarding the government’s increasing disregard for court rulings.She highlighted two proposed legislative measures that she believes could significantly undermine institutional checks and balances.

One bill seeks to split the powers of the attorney general by creating a new “prosecutor general” position appointed by the justice minister, which critics say could reduce the independence of legal oversight.

The second bill aims to expand the authority of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir over the police, raising concerns about politicisation of law enforcement.

Baharav-Miara also criticised the government’s handling of Supreme Court decisions, particularly relating to the long-standing issue of military conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities.

Despite a 2024 Supreme Court ruling requiring their enlistment, the government has struggled to enforce it due to coalition dependencies on ultra-Orthodox political parties.

She warned that if court rulings continue to be ignored, public confidence in the judiciary could collapse, leading to a situation where legal judgments are no longer seen as binding.

Overall, her remarks underline growing tensions between Israel’s legal institutions and the executive government over rule of law and democratic governance.