The Minister of Heritage, MK Amichai Eliyahu of the Religious Zionist Party, to whom Justice Minister Yariv Levin delegated his authority in the case of pardoning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday) sent a sharp letter to Attorney Gali Baharav of Yara, demanding that he immediately hand over the pardon case and the professional opinion on the matter.
In his letter, Minister Eliyahu wrote: "It has been brought to my attention that the professional opinion of the Pardons Department at the Ministry of Justice has long been completed and is ready for delivery. Despite this, and for reasons that are unclear, the transfer of the opinion to me is being delayed at your direction.".
He said the official request for clemency has been on the counselor's desk for several months. "This is in addition to the fact that the official request has been on your desk for several months, and so far you have consistently avoided holding a substantive hearing on the request.".
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Minister Eliyahu also wrote that the delay raises questions and undermines his ability to perform his duties. "One cannot help but wonder why it has been delayed for so many months. The government mandate and the public mandate given to me oblige me to examine the issue seriously and professionally without further delay.".
He said that delaying the transfer of materials that have already been completed "harms my ability to fulfill my duties and creates the appearance that your failure to make the decision is your decision.".
He emphasized that the public expects the process to be handled professionally. "The Israeli public has the right to know that these sensitive matters are being handled professionally, objectively, and without extraneous considerations. Under these circumstances, in order for me to fulfill my duty in accordance with the law and fulfill my public mission properly, I demand that all opinions and relevant documents be transferred to my office immediately.".
The letter comes after a report on Channel 14, according to which Bahar-Miara contacted the Pardons Department demanding that it not publish or forward the prepared opinion to Minister Amichai Eliyahu.
According to the report, Bahar-Miara demands to be involved in the discussion and requests that the opinion be prevented from being published until she meets with the professional authorities and gives her final approval.
It should be noted that the opinion of the Ministry of Justice is not binding and constitutes only a recommendation. The final decision on the matter lies with President Yitzhak Herzog.
The Pardons Department at the Ministry of Justice completed the preparation of its opinion regarding the Prime Minister's pardon request yesterday.
Following Miare's opinion that the Minister of Justice is prevented from dealing with pardons due to his closeness to the Prime Minister, Minister Levin instructed the Pardons Department to forward the opinion to Minister Amichai Eliyahu, who regularly handles cases in which Minister Levin is in a position of power.
Maharab-Miara said in response to Channel 14: "We will not comment.".
