Latest news with #Gali Baharav-Miara
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov't failing to sanction haredi draft dodgers, says A-G
Legally, part of the issue is that there is no set categorical distinction for haredim in the matter of military conscription, as it is a blanket requirement. The government has not yet actualized the sanctions it should impose on eligible haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men who don't report for duty despite their draft orders, the Attorney-General's Office and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara stated on Tuesday. The office's response was to the issue of materializing a previous High Court of Justice ruling, which said the state does not have the authority or the leeway to prevent a haredi draft, given the continuous security situation Israel is in. Throughout July, the IDF sent out the 54,000 draft orders to all eligible men in the haredi community, and also updated its enforcement and sanction plan, making it more efficient. An existing draft law that made it easy for many haredim to be exempt from service expired in June 2024, leaving behind a legislative vacuum. The coalition struggled to maintain its hold on power as haredi parties of both Sephardi and Ashkenazi sects threatened to topple the government over the next draft bill text. Legally, part of the issue is that there is no set categorical distinction for haredim in the matter of military conscription, as it is a blanket requirement. Former Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein was ousted from his position for insisting on relatively fair terms. Likud MK Boaz Bismuth took his place, and reports say that passing a law that the haredi parties would find favorable is at the top of his agenda. The tension and lawsuits come amid the overwhelmingly straining load that the serving public – active duty and reserves – has been bearing, reaching new, painful, and concerning heights when it comes to mental and emotional health. There is currently no concrete end to the war projected for the near future. Though the military has sharpened its response plan to draft dodgers in a serious way that is more effective and has begun to materialize, the government has many more tools at its disposal to apply the sanctions in a more complete way, the Attorney-General's Office said, adding that some of these tools can be advanced already now, without special legislation. IDF possesses extensive tools to apprehend draft dodgers The military's tools are extensive, including presence at Ben-Gurion Airport to apprehend anyone who repeatedly avoids their draft order and tries to leave the country. The office requested that one of the injunctions the court issued be extended – to ensure that none of the parameters of the current draft requirements are changed. Solve the daily Crossword
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Israeli government tries to fire head of Netanyahu corruption probe
The Israeli government voted unanimously on Monday to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who is currently prosecuting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for corruption. The move was immediately suspended by the Israeli High Court. Netanyahu and his supporters have accused Baharav-Miara of exceeding her powers by blocking decisions by the elected government, including a move to dismiss the head of Israel's domestic security agency. In a statement after the vote, Baharav-Miara called her dismissal 'unlawful' and vowed that she and her office would remain faithful to the law and continue to act professionally and honestly. 'This is a fateful blow to the rule of law, equality before the law, human rights, and the ability of the law enforcement system to deal with government corruption,' she added. The attempt to fire the attorney general for the first time in the country's 78-year history was immediately frozen by the High Court until justices can rule on its legality. The government is barred from appointing a new attorney general and influencing Baharav-Miara's operations before further instructions are issued. Netanyahu did not take part in the hearing or vote on Baharav-Miara's dismissal due to a conflict of interest over his ongoing criminal trial and the attorney general's role as head of the prosecution. Three criminal cases have been opened against Netanyahu, who has been charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He could face up to ten years in prison over the bribery allegations, while the fraud and breach of trust charges each carry up to three years. Several hearings in Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial have been canceled after a court accepted requests by the prime minister on classified diplomatic, security, and health grounds. Opposition politicians have criticized the attorney general's dismissal, calling it part of Netanyahu's controversial judicial reform plan which sparked one of the largest protests in Israel's history. Opponents claim that the reform would violate democratic principles as the ruling coalition would concentrate more power in its hands and Netanyahu would attempt to avoid criminal liability.
