The government ministers will demand that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara give her answers to the government on the questions of selective enforcement against protests and the accusations that under her direction, anti-judicial reform demonstrators are treated with a much softer approach than other protesters have been in the past, Israel Hayom reported.
The ministers noted the harsh measures which have been taken against protestors against the 2005 Disengagement, settlers, and Ethiopian protestors, in contrast to what they call the lack of enforcement against the current protests when they turn violent o illegally block vital highways and Ben Gurion Airport.
On Thursday, Baharav-Miara sent a letter to Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fox in which she announced that she would answers in principle, but without touching on any specific cases since the ministers have a "personal interest" in the protests against the current government.
"Especially during a protest against the policies of the government and its policies, the government must be extremely careful to avoid actions that could be interpreted as an attempt to illegitimately influence the professional judgment of law enforcement officials," the attorney general wrote.
"The law enforcement system is obliged to exercise its powers in a professional and independent manner. This independence is a central guarantee of the preservation of human rights," she added.
Baharav-Miara criticized the government for even holding the discussion because, according to her, "some of the participants of the meeting have a personal interest" in harsher enforcement measures against the protestors.
"A democratic state is obliged to maintain a proper balance between the lofty and unique status of the fundamental right to freedom of expression and the public interest in maintaining public order, personal security and other rights - both of the general public and of the protesting public," she said.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin stated that the attorney general's letter was "disturbing for two reasons: first, it ignores the ongoing and unprecedented violation of the basic rights of millions of citizens to get safely to work, to the hospital, to have free access to the airport, etc. Second, it ignores the dangerous selective enforcement that takes place today and cries out to the heavens, compared to the draconian way other protests are treated, such as those of the opponents of the Disengagement, Ethiopians, the haredi public, the settlers, and the Arab public."
"The right to protest within the framework of the law is sacred and is not subject to any debate, but massive violations of the law and incitement to violence and civil disobedience require a clear and uniform enforcement policy. We will demand answers to this at the next government meeting," said Minister Levin.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused the attorney general of "harming the rule of law and public trust" in Israel.
"Instead of doing her job and enforcing the law, she becomes a politician in essence, exceeds her authority and works full-time in the service of the opposition," Ben-Gvir said.