Israeli universities threaten to strike if attorney general fired ...but "ISRAEL NOT FRIGHTENED!"

 

The heads of eight research universities in Israel published a declaration on Sunday threatening to strike if Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is dismissed.

This comes after Justice Minister Yariv Levin initiated proceedings to replace Baharav-Miara, following several public spats between government leaders and the attorney general. 

The signatories of the document are: Professor Daniel Chamovitz, president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Professor Gur Alroey, president of the University of Haifa; Professor Alon Chen, president of the Weizmann Institute of Science; Professor Asher Cohen, president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Professor Uri Sivan, president of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology; Professor Ariel Porat, president of Tel Aviv University; Professor Arie Zaban, president of Bar-Ilan University; and Professor Leo Corry, president of the Open University.

"The signatory presidents of the universities hereby warn of an unprecedented danger to the rule of law in the State of Israel if the government's attorney general is dismissed," they wrote. "In the democratic regime that rules in Israel, the attorney general is the most important guardian against possible government infringement of civil rights and private rights of the country's residents. She is the one who maintains proper policing. She, together with the courts, represents the arrow between a democratic rule in which checks and balances on the government are necessary, and a tyrannical dictatorship in which the government can do whatever it wants," they said.

"The legal adviser is a public servant, not a politician. Her only 'sin' is that she fulfills her role with great professionalism and courage," the letter continued. "Therefore, the calls by ministers in the government and members of the Knesset for her dismissal are nothing but calls to get rid of the rule of law. Any harm to the rule of law will result in severe damage to Israeli society, including the economy and security. If the legal adviser is dismissed, we will declare our personal strike, protest against the move, and call on others to do the same. We implore these parties to declare their intention to act as soon as possible."

Education Minister Yoav Kish wrote on his X account in response: 

"I just answered the heads of the universities – you are confused. Threats of a strike to influence policy do not frighten us. The end of democracy will not come because of the attorney general's resignation, on the contrary – finally, the people's will be expressed. An attorney general who opposes the government in every action from her first day is not worthy to remain in her position, and therefore the dismissal process has begun. It would have been better had she resigned on her own initiative."