**Knesset Approves Attorney General Split Bill in First Reading**
The Knesset plenum approved in the early hours of Tuesday the bill to split the role of the Attorney General, passing its first reading by a vote of 65 MKs in favor and 47 opposed.
Following the vote, the proposal will return to the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee for further deliberations.
If enacted, the law would allow the government to appoint a new Prosecutor General, separate from current Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who would have the authority to reconsider the indictments filed against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It is proposed to divide the functions and powers of the Attorney General between two officeholders - an Attorney General and a Prosecutor General," the Knesset said in an official statement. Under the proposal, the Prosecutor General would head the public prosecution system and hold all authority in criminal matters. The Attorney General would retain the remaining legal powers, head the government's legal advisory system, and oversee the State Attorney’s Office in areas unrelated to criminal law.
The bill also seeks to regulate the appointment process, qualifications, and term of office of the Attorney General. According to the proposal, the Attorney General would be appointed by the government upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister and the Justice Minister, and would serve for the duration of the government’s term. The bill further sets out conditions for ending the Attorney General’s tenure, grounds for removal or suspension, and procedures for appointing a deputy to serve as acting Attorney General.
Under the proposed legislation, the Attorney General would assist the government in implementing its policies and objectives within the framework of the law and provide legal advice to all executive branch bodies. The bill also addresses the status of legal opinions, providing that executive authorities would generally regard them as reflecting the law. However, if the government determines there is justification, it would not be required to treat a particular legal opinion as binding and could exempt executive bodies from doing so.
Regarding court proceedings, the bill would regulate state representation before the courts. The Attorney General would present the state’s position in legal proceedings and assist in advancing government policy and objectives. Authority to determine the state’s legal position, however, would rest with the government. If the Attorney General believes the government’s position cannot be presented, or if the relevant minister believes it will not be represented properly, the government could authorize another attorney to represent the state.
The proposal also regulates the appointment and tenure of the Prosecutor General. The position would be filled by the government from a list of candidates recommended by a public committee, for a single six-year term. The bill defines the conditions for ending the Prosecutor General’s tenure, grounds for removal or suspension, and procedures for appointing a senior deputy as acting Prosecutor General. The legislation emphasizes that the Prosecutor General would be fully independent in decision-making and subject only to the law.
On Monday, Baharav-Miara delivered a sharp speech at the opening of the Israel Bar Association’s annual conference in Eilat, criticizing measures being advanced against the judicial system, including the split bill.
The Attorney General argued that the proposal is not a technical organizational reform but rather a move that would undermine the professional and independent status of both the Attorney General and the Prosecutor General while creating mechanisms for political influence over specific cases.
She said the initiative disregards the lessons of the Bar-On Hebron affair and the conclusions of the Shamgar Commission, which rejected the idea of splitting the role and determined that legal gatekeepers must remain independent of the political echelon.