The Legal Forum for Israel demanded the suspension of Chief Prosecutor Moshe Lador Wednesday after Lador sent a letter to his superior, Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman, in which he harshly rebuked the minister over his intent to split the Attorney General's position into two. Ne'eman has said he wants to create two new positions, of Attorney General and Legal Counsel to the Government, because in the present situation, the Attorney General often operates within a conflict of interests, advising ministers on policy while also preparing criminal charge sheets against them.

Chief Prosecutor Moshe Lador / Israel news photo: Flash 90

In his letter to Ne'eman, which was reportedly also circulated among Prosecution employees and the media, Lador said that the minister's plan for splitting the Attorney General's authority constitutes a political “grab” and was not given due consideration before being decided upon. He also said that the way the matter has been handled reflects an “embarrassing” culture of irresponsible behavior.

The Legal Forum for Israel wrote a letter to the Civil Service Administrator, Atty. Shmuel Hollander, in which he asked him to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Lador and to suspend him from his job immediately. Lador, the Forum contended, “made false and severe accusations against the Justice Minister,” presenting him as negligent and populistic, and in actuality “declared an all out war against the minister.”  

The Forum said that there is no doubt that Lador transgressed several clauses in the regulations governing the rights and responsibilities of civil servants.