Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich today (Monday) attacked the Attorney General and the State Attorney during a discussion on the bill to split the role of the Attorney General at the Constitution Committee, sparking outrage among opposition MKs.
In his remarks, Smotrich referred to the “Sde Teiman" affair and said,
“Almost 200 days have passed since the great blood libel carried out by Jews against IDF soldiers, and where is the Attorney General? Covering for her former colleague, the former Military Advocate General. There is no justice and no one is taking responsibility. She is sitting at home enjoying a generous pension and the rank of major general in the IDF. Almost 200 days have passed, and the public deserves answers: How is the investigation progressing? Have timelines been set? Who else was involved in this criminal leak and is receiving legal protection from the state?"
Smotrich compared the conduct of the legal system to foreign reports against IDF soldiers and criticized the harm caused to suspects in the affair.
“Why should we complain about the lies of the New York Times, which publishes a disgraceful fake ‘investigation’ against heroic IDF soldiers, when the legal adviser to the Government of Israel lends a hand to exactly such a false libel. The lives of the heroes of Force 100 were destroyed. Families fell apart, their mental health collapsed. The time has come for everyone involved in the affair to be held accountable."
The Finance Minister went on to accuse the Attorney General of politically persecuting generals appointed to senior security positions.
“What is the Attorney General occupied with? Persecuting Roman Gofman, a hero and outstanding IDF general appointed head of the Mossad during a critical period for Israel’s security; persecuting David Zini, another outstanding IDF general appointed head of the ISA in order to rehabilitate this extremely important organization after Ronen Bar shattered it."
The minister concluded his speech with criticism of the system’s budgeting and a promise to change the functioning of legal counsel in Israel.
“At a time when crime and protection rackets are raging in the streets, the Attorney General and the Attorney General's Office, who head the system that was supposed to deal with this and provide us with personal security, are abandoning the citizens of Israel and investing the billions we give them in persecuting the government and the Right, thwarting every step, every plan and every appointment we make, with foolish investigations and abuse of legal process. Very soon we will restore Israel to being a democratic state and put an end to the dictatorship of the Attorney General. A state in which legal counsel advises, the government can govern, and the Knesset succeeds in legislating. That is democracy."
Smotrich sharply criticized the legal advisers in the Justice Ministry and said:
“You are a total failure. From the Attorney General and the State Attorney down to the department heads, they all need to go home."
During the discussion, a verbal confrontation developed between bereaved brother Danny Elgart, who joined the Democrats party, and Minister Smotrich. The Knesset Guard attempted to prevent the clash and remove Elgart from the minister. Constitution Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman suspended the discussion.
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