Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents warn that he is politicising key institutions ahead of elections due by October, after a week in which his loyalists were appointed to state positions.
On Tuesday, Roman Gofman, previously Mr Netanyahu’s military secretary, was sworn in as the 14th director of the Mossad, Israel’s main foreign intelligence agency.
On Wednesday, parliament narrowly elected Mr Netanyahu’s personal lawyer, Michael Rabello, as state comptroller, responsible, among other duties, for overseeing the government’s work.
On Thursday, Mr Netanyahu announced that his ally, Guy Markizeno, would be his new military secretary.
The spate of appointments adds to concerns within the opposition that Mr Netanyahu is trying to reshape state institutions in his favour, in particular the judicial system and security apparatus.
Israel's state comptrollers are elected by the Knesset in a secret ballot for a single term of seven years. Mossad directors are appointed by prime ministers and typically serve five-year terms, although some have served for longer.
Opponents of Mr Netanyahu’s government, the most far-right in Israel's history, have warned since it took office in December 2022 that it wants to weaken democracy and the rule of law, in favour of messianic religious goals and ultranationalism.
Maj Gen Gofman was widely criticised for lacking the experience in covert operations necessary for one of the country’s most important security roles, especially during a time of extreme regional tension.
His nomination in December faced legal challenges based on a disciplinary mark against him from a military investigation in 2022, when soldiers under his command recruited a 17-year-old boy for an influence operation. The minor said he was tortured by Israel’s security agencies despite working for the military.
Mr Rabello has represented the prime minister and his wife on a number of occasions. His election was beset by controversy amid reports that politicians from Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party were ordered to take photographic evidence that they had voted for him in a second round of what was supposed to be a secret ballot. Mr Rabello passed after the Knesset speaker ordered a re-run of the second round.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Likud had “tainted” the election and called for it to be annulled. “These were not free votes, but extortion of Likud Members of Knesset living under the threat of a price on their heads,” he said.
In yet another report that angered the opposition, broadcaster Channel 12 stated that Sara Netanyahu, the Prime Minister’s wife, had joined his chief of staff in the candidacy interview for Mr Markizeno, which took place in Mr Netanyahu’s office.
The Prime Minister's wife, who is often criticised for interfering in matters of state, had previously been accused of joining job interviews for sensitive posts. In 2023, a former military secretary said he was questioned during the interview for the post primarily by Sara Netanyahu, rather than the Prime Minister.
Left-wing politician Yair Golan said in a post on X on Wednesday that “Israel is in a deep state of disorientation, and its root is the corruption, incitement and rot that Netanyahu brought into our lives”.
The concern over the recent appointments comes amid bitter divisions in Israeli society that have erupted into violence several times this week.
On Wednesday, ultra-Orthodox Jews vandalised the home of the Supreme Court's deputy president, Noam Sohlberg, in an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, which is illegal under international law. There were also protests that blocked main roads and railways following the arrest of ultra-Orthodox Jews who refuse to serve in Israel’s military. Some of the demonstrations became violent.
After the attack on Mr Sohlberg's home, former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak said he feared that increasing attacks on the judiciary could one day lead to the “murder of a judge” and even civil war.
Mr Netanyahu’s government launched a bitterly divisive drive to weaken Israel’s judiciary soon after taking office, sparking large weekly rallies by opponents of its campaign. Its efforts were delayed by the October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel by Hamas, and the ensuing Gaza war. Critics of the government say the ruling coalition is now trying to push through as many changes as possible before elections.
