Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in breach of a Supreme Court ruling and his conflict-of-interest agreement when he announced Thursday he "was getting involved in order to reach a solution for the judicial reform crisis," Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara wrote in an open letter to Netanyahu Friday.
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"Your statement last night and any action that will be taken on this matter is illegal and tainted by a conflict of interest," the letter read. "The legal situation is clear: You must refrain from any involvement in initiatives to change the judiciary, including the makeup of the committee for the appointment of judges, as such activity is a conflict of interest."
Netanyahu said in a televised address on Thursday that he was determined to proceed with judicial reforms amid unprecedented nationwide protests against the government's plan.
The Likud leader's comments came at the end of another day of mass protests across the country, some violent. The protests have escalated since the start of the year when Netanyahu's right-wing government introduced new legislation that would curb the authority of the Supreme Court.
The plan has stirred concern for Israel's democratic health at home and abroad. Military reservists have joined the protests and senior officials in the Finance Ministry warned this week of an economic backlash.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
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