Mounting pressure on Israeli Justice Minister to dismiss embattled Attorney General Baharav-Miara reaches boiling point as coalition tensions erupt into protests and hearings today. Her expected firing may spark a major “constitutional” crisis in a country without a constitution. Her decision to prosecute a Netanyahu aide may prove the last straw.

Calls for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s dismissal have escalated from political criticism to official proceedings, culminating today in a stormy hearing convened by a ministerial committee—and igniting nationwide protests. What was once a legal standoff has now become a national showdown, raising the question: will the government move to sack the Attorney General during wartime?

The five-member committee, led by Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, met this morning to consider whether Baharav-Miara should be removed from office. The committee includes Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Religious Services Minister Michael Malkieli, and Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel. Justice Minister Yariv Levin submitted an 84-point dossier outlining claims of misconduct and obstruction.

Attorney General Baharav-Miara added fuel to the political fire last week by recommending criminal charges against Jonatan Urich, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Netanyahu. Urich is accused of leaking classified military information during the Gaza war in an effort to influence public perception of Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage crisis. He is also suspected of obstructing the investigation by replacing his mobile phone after another aide was arrested. The case, which reportedly involves allegations of backchannel coordination with foreign actors, has drawn sharp condemnation from Netanyahu, who called the accusations “baseless and unfounded” and insisted that “Jonatan did not harm state security.”

Attorney General Baharav-Miara refused to attend the hearing, dismissing it as “a sham” and stating that it is “clearly a predetermined process” driven by “irrelevant and corrupt considerations.” In a public statement released ahead of the session, she warned that the process could “destroy the norms of democratic governance in Israel” by allowing an elected majority to dismiss legal oversight based solely on political dissatisfaction.

Her decision not to appear was supported by former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who described the hearing as “a circus” and said it “could spell the end of democracy if such maneuvers are allowed to succeed.” Mandelblit noted that no prior Attorney General had ever been removed through such a politicized channel, especially not during an active conflict.

President Isaac Herzog also weighed in during the tense morning hours. “This feels like a rollercoaster that’s lost its brakes,” he said. “The position of Attorney General is one of the most sensitive in a democracy. Each step here must be measured and weighed a thousand times before being taken.” Herzog also praised Baharav-Miara for helping to preserve Israel’s international legitimacy during the current war, particularly on issues such as civilian protections and wartime legal conduct.

Outside the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem, hundreds of protesters clashed with police after several entered the building in an act of civil disobedience. At least one demonstrator was detained. Protesters carried signs defending the rule of law and accusing the government of attempting a political coup against judicial independence. Simultaneously, rallies erupted in Tel Aviv and other cities, as activists warned that Baharav-Miara’s dismissal would be a point of no return for Israeli democracy.

The ministers pressing for her removal argue otherwise. “This is not about democracy; this is about governance,” said Smotrich. “The Attorney General is undermining the decisions of a wartime cabinet. If she refuses to align with the national mission, she should not remain in office.”

Ben Gvir was even more direct: “The public elected a right-wing government, not Gali Baharav-Miara. If she thinks she can override that, she is mistaken. This cannot go on.”

Despite their determination, removing an Attorney General is legally complex. The process requires approval from a government-appointed committee and possibly the Knesset, and may be challenged in court. No Attorney General in Israel’s history has been dismissed mid-term by a sitting government.

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly endorsed the dismissal, reports suggest he is increasingly frustrated with Baharav-Miara’s legal positions, particularly on policy in Gaza and Judea and Samaria (commonly referred to as the West Bank). Sources close to the Prime Minister said he views her legal interference as “complicating every step of our national strategy.”

For now, the Attorney General remains in office, but the hearing has opened a legal and political firestorm. Whether this committee leads to actual dismissal or proves merely symbolic, it underscores a deeper battle underway—between elected power and legal oversight, between wartime unity and institutional friction. The coming days may prove decisive in determining which vision of governance will prevail.