A stormy Knesset committee hearing highlighted the coalition's deepening clash with Israel's legal establishment, as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich launched a fierce attack on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and defended sweeping changes to her role. The debate centered on legislation that would split the attorney general's position into three separate roles and impose stricter conditions on criminal investigations of senior elected officials.

Smotrich accused the attorney general of acting like a dictator and argued that the reforms would restore democratic governance by allowing ministers to govern without being bound by legal advisers. Opposition lawmakers warned that the measures would weaken one of the main checks on executive power, particularly as the country appears headed toward early elections, and could shield senior officials from scrutiny.

The hearing also expanded into broader disputes over settlement policy, crime in Arab communities, and accountability for rising homicide rates. Smotrich dismissed criticism that the reforms would erode the rule of law and rejected claims that the government was undermining democratic safeguards, while opposition members accused him of deflecting blame and seeking to dismantle institutional oversight.

Tensions peaked when Smotrich failed to recognize a bereaved brother of a hostage killed in captivity, prompting outrage in the committee room and underscoring the charged political atmosphere surrounding the proposed legislation.