by Eliav Breuer
“We, presidents of the universities signed below, hereby warn against an unprecedented threat to the rule of law in Israel if the attorney-general is fired,” the letter began.
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Eight presidents of major Israeli universities announced in a public letter on Sunday that they would go on strike and call on others to do the same if the government went through with Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s initiative to remove Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara from her position.
“We, presidents of the universities signed below, hereby warn against an unprecedented threat to the rule of law in Israel if the attorney-general is fired,” the letter began.
“In the democratic rule in Israel, the A-G is the most important gatekeeper against possible government harm to civilian rights and individual rights of the country’s residents. She is the one who ensures proper government procedure. She is, alongside the courts, the buffer between a democratic regime with necessary checks and balances on the government and a tyrannical, dictatorial regime where the government can do as it pleases,” they continued.
“The A-G is a public servant and not a politician. Her only ‘sin’ is that she fulfilled her position with great professionalism and great courage. Therefore, the calls by government ministers and members of Knesset to fire her are nothing but calls to be rid of the rule of law. Harm to the rule of law will lead to a critical blow to Israeli society, including the economy and security.”
The presidents concluded by announcing that if the move went through, they would “personally” go on strike and called on others to announce the same.
The eight university heads included Ben-Gurion University president Prof. Daniel Haimovitz; Haifa University president Prof. Gur Alroey; Weizmann Institute president Prof. Alon Chen; Hebrew University president Prof. Asher Cohen; Technion president Prof. Uri Sivan; Tel Aviv University president Prof. Ariel Porat; Bar-Ilan University president Prof. Arie Zaban; and Open University president Prof. Leo Corry.
In an 84-page document sent to all of the government’s ministers, Levin on Wednesday argued that Baharav-Miara has used her power to serve as a “long arm of the opposition” and block the government from implementing its policies. He requested that the ministers support a decision to support a no-confidence motion in the A-G.
Levin also sent requests to Knesset Speaker Amit Ohana and to Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs to initiate proceedings to elect representatives from their respective bodies to a committee responsible for reviewing the demand to fire her.
The move could drag on for months, as the committee must form, review the demand, and issue a recommendation, after which there will likely be a petition to the Supreme Court.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi criticized the university heads’ letter in a post on X/Twitter. He accused Israeli academia of being a “sad joke” and the university presidents of turning into “political activists” merely because the government was “operating within its authorities.”
Karhi added, "Anyone who turns educational institutions into a political tool in the hands of the extreme Left and uses their high position as a political tool should not be surprised if the public asks why they need to fund this circus. Want to be an arm of an anti-democratic camp? Do it at your own expense. Resign!"
Response to the university letter
Education Minister Yoav Kisch also responded to the letter on X: "You are confused. The threats of a strike aimed at influencing policy do not deter us. The end of democracy will not result from the dismissal of the attorney-general; rather, it will ultimately reflect the will of the people.
עניתי כרגע לראשי האוניבסיטאות -
— יואב קיש Yoav Kisch (@YoavKisch) March 9, 2025
התבלבלתם.
האיומים בשביתה כדי להשפיע על מדיניות לא מרתיעים אותנו.
קץ הדמוקרטיה לא יגיע בגלל פיטורי היועמשית, אלא להיפך - סוף סוף רצון העם יבוא לידי ביטוי.
יועמשית שהינה אופוזיציה לממשלה בכל פעולה מיומה הראשון, אינה ראויה להישאר בתפקידה ולכן החל… pic.twitter.com/aLQvs0lFo2
Kisch continued, "An attonrey-general who has opposed the government at every turn from day one is unworthy of holding her position, and as a result, the impeachment process has begun. It would have been better if she had resigned on her own initiative."
Eliav Breuer
Source: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-845266
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