Leaving office, Israel's AG stresses 'unprecedented challenges' to rule of law - Haaretz
Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit bid farewell to the Justice Ministry on Tuesday at a ceremony marking the end of his tenure, saying that in the course of his six years in the post he had worked “to preserve the integrity of the office and institution of the attorney general in the face of unprecedented challenges.”
Mendelbit stressed that he was ending his term “with a sense of satisfaction and pride,” adding, “I acted according to the principles of the rule of law and the preservation of Israeli democracy – I did everything I possibly could.”
Speaking at the ceremony, Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that “the law enforcement system faced unprecedented attacks on its authority” during Mendelblit’s term. “You [Mendelblit] drew most of the fire, but you stood up for your professional integrity, for the preservation of this institution, and for the rule of law. You performed your duty faithfully, and that is what people will remember,” Sa’ar said.
Turning to the former attorney general, Sa’ar said, “In recent times, beyond professional matters, you have expressed anxiety about the future of democracy in Israel. We’ve stepped back from the edge of the abyss, but the danger has not yet passed. The legal system in Israel is in need of repair, but we will fix it together. Those who attack this establishment with lies and fake news have no interest in its repair, but seek its destruction.”
State Prosecutor Amit Aisman said, “You made all of your decisions professionally, and never let the shouts from the street influence you. You were guided by the same principles you committed to upon entering office: Uncompromising defense of the office of the attorney general, respect for human rights as a fellow human. You did all this professionally and with great modesty, while serving as a clear example of how a true public servant should conduct himself.”
Aisman, who is replacing Mendelblit as acting attorney general until a successor is named, praised Mendelblit’s “steadfastness” in the face of personal attacks and attacks on law enforcement.
“With all this, and perhaps above all, there is no one who has not been impressed by your modesty and honor. You never hesitated to back up the State Attorney’s Office in the face of attacks against individuals and the organization in recent years,” Aisman said.
The most notable event of Mendelblit’s tenure was his decision to indict Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption offenses. This was the first time that a sitting Israeli prime minister had ever been indicted.
“Many doubted he would be able to file an indictment for bribery and breach of trust against the person who had appointed him,” a senior legal official told Haaretz. “But the bottom line is that despite all the criticism he faced, he passed the hardest test he could be given. He stood up to Netanyahu and defended the State Attorney’s Office against blatant attacks by the prime minister himself and his associates.”
At a cabinet meeting he attended at the start of the week, Mendelblit said in connection to the attacks that “A government that seeks to weaken the rule of law, or, God forbid, to destroy the rule of law, is attacking the public.” He said, “There were some who tried to portray their attacks on the rule of law as an ideological issue under the guise of ‘governance,’ but time after time we saw that the campaign was meant to advance their personal interests.”
In the final weeks of his term, Mendelblit signed off on plea bargains for three former cabinet ministers facing corruption charges. In November, Mendelblit reached a deal with Haim Katz. Last month, a deal was reached with Arye Dery, and last week a deal was reached with Yaakov Litzman. All three saw serious charges reduced to minor ones and evaded charges of moral turpitude. Mendelblit also held talks with Netanyahu regarding a plea deal, but negotiations collapsed.
The attorney general had conditioned the negotiations on Netanyahu’s admitting to breach of trust violations in Cases 1000 and 4000 and his agreeing to penalties that included a suspended sentence, significant financial penalties and a designation of moral turpitude. In exchange, bribery charges connected with Case 4000 would be dropped and Case 2000 would be closed.
The negotiations ended over Netanyahu’s refusal to accept a deal that included a charge of moral turpitude, let alone a prison sentence. Mendelblit excluded most of the prosecutors from the talks, including those who were spearheading the cases in court. Only four prosecutors were informed of the details of the negotiations.
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source: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-leaving-office-israel-s-ag-stresses-unprecedented-challenges-to-rule-of-law-1.10583030
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