Attorney-General labels Police Investigation Department bill a poison capsule for justice
Gali Baharav-Miara warns that recent legislation restructuring the police oversight unit threatens to politicize law enforcement and undermine impartiality.
By Vanessa Lopez ·
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara issued a sharp warning on Sunday regarding recent legislation that alters the structure of the Police Investigation Department. Speaking to legal professionals at the Justice Ministry's annual conference in Eilat, she described the PID law as a poison capsule designed to weaken impartial law enforcement from within.
The department is responsible for investigating suspected crimes committed by police officers. The new legislation, which was passed in June and sponsored by Likud MK Moshe Saada, separates the PID from the State Attorney's Office. It establishes the department as a distinct entity within the Justice Ministry with its own budget. Proponents of the change argue that removing the unit from the control of prosecutors who regularly collaborate with police will enhance its independence.
However, Baharav-Miara argued that the bill is often presented as a neutral organizational adjustment when it is actually a significant threat to the system's loyalty to the public. She stated that the law dismantles the principles of political neutrality and equality before the law. She identified this bill and a separate law weakening the attorney-general's office as the two most immediate threats to the justice system.
The legal battle over the PID law is currently active in the courts. On September 3, the High Court of Justice granted an interim order suspending specific provisions related to the appointment of the PID director and a new coordinator. This order was supported by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit and Justice Dafna Barak-Erez, while Deputy President Noam Sohlberg dissented.
Petitions against the law were filed by several groups, including the Movement for Quality Government, the Academy for a Democratic Israel, and the Israel Bar Association. A full hearing on these petitions is scheduled for December 28. In her submissions to the court, the Attorney-General argued that finalizing appointments during the election period created a risk of political interference and could bind the next government.
The Knesset opposed the interim relief, maintaining that the appointments were reversible and that delays would hinder the restructured department from starting operations on time. Baharav-Miara contended that while the legislation began with the goal of increasing independence, it would result in political subordination instead.
She warned that politicians would gain the leverage to force investigations into police officers, prosecutors, and journalists. Conversely, they could also obstruct probes into government corruption or individuals close to those in power. She emphasized that political control over the appointment and removal of senior PID officials would reinforce this pressure.
In her speech, Baharav-Miara questioned whether officers and prosecutors would feel confident enough to confront powerful elected officials or resist unjustified investigations if a politically controlled unit could be turned against them. She noted that this dynamic could also affect their ability to handle demands from the national security minister regarding anti-government demonstrations.
A separate Attorney-General Law, which was passed in July and is set to take effect on January 1, 2027, allows the government to decide that the attorney-general's legal opinions do not bind it in non-criminal matters. It also expands government control over the office's representation in court. Baharav-Miara indicated she would address this second piece of legislation in a future forum.
The Attorney-General stated that she and State Attorney Amit Aisman will continue to fight the PID changes, framing the issue as a matter of every citizen's right to professional and equal law enforcement. She credited Boaz Balat, head of the police's Investigations and Intelligence Division, with helping to defend the rule of law. Separately, journalist Amit Segal reported on recordings where Balat accused prosecutors of using criminal cases as leverage and prioritizing public corruption over crime in Arab communities.
