A-G, Netanyahu fight over involvement in law enforcement appointments

Mandelblit has proposed broad parameters preventing Netanyahu from any say in any law enforcement or judicial appointments or even any related legislation

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit (R) (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit (R)
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have sent dueling letters rejecting each other’s positions on whether Netanyahu can be involved in appointing law enforcement officials while he is in the midst of his bribery trial.
The dispute seems destined to be resolved by the High Court of Justice.
The High Court said in May that Netanyahu could only remain prime minister while under indictment if there was a conflict of interest mechanism in place to keep him from tampering with his bribery trial, but did not set the parameters.
Mandelblit has proposed broad parameters preventing Netanyahu from any say in any law enforcement or judicial appointments or even any related legislation.
Netanyahu’s lawyers rejected this position in their Thursday letter saying that Mandelblit was trying to undo the will of the public who voted Netanyahu into office exactly to make such key appointments.
His lawyers also demanded Mandelblit pass on the issue to the state comptroller or a retired judge, saying the attorney-general has a conflict in deciding the issue since he indicted Netanyahu and allegedly campaigned for certain candidates for the Judicial Selection Committee.
Mandelblit rejected Netanyahu’s position, noting that Israeli law gives him two hats – both as the country’s chief prosecutor and chief legal adviser.


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