Judge Esther Hayut, president of Israel’s Supreme Court, gave an address this evening in which she strongly criticized the reforms planned by incoming Justice Minister Yariv Levin. Levin has already issued a reply. The exchange has prompted a wave of reactions from Israel's political spectrum.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid commented: "I cosign every word from Judge Esther Hayut. Democracy is not only the rule of the majority, the majority did not give anyone an open check to do as they pleased. We will stand together with her in the fight for the soul of the state and against the attempt to dismantle Israeli democracy.” To the recent rebuttal by Justice Minister Levin, he commented: "We will not allow you to destroy Israeli democracy. We will not allow you to turn Israel into a second-class country. Netanyahu is too weak to protect Israel. We will do it with all our might instead."
The Attorney General commented: “This legislation is being done too quickly for the drastic changes it seeks to implement. Our discourse has become too heated and could lead to reprisals against figures in the justice system. All elected officials need to pursue a change of tone.”
Transportation Minister Miri Regev commented: "The masks have come off, everything is 100 percent position, 100 percent politics. There is no war for justice here, just a losing battle for the preservation of power."
MK Boaz Bismuth commented: “This speech proves that such a change is not only requested, it is mandatory.”
Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu commented: “Mrs. President, I listened very carefully to your painful speech. The existence of the legal system in Israel is important for the moral strength of the State of Israel. At the same time, I get the impression that you are confusing democracy with oligarchy. The restoration of the judicial system goes through the definition of judicial powers in the law and not through an anti-democratic judicial revolution. Many in Israel think that the State of Israel is close to a state of legal rule rather than the rule of the people. The robustness of the system stems from the public's trust in it. In the current situation, as the former president pointed out, the appointments are political and that trust is broken.’
Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar commented: "The President of the Supreme Court continued in her speech today the absurd line that presents the reform as the end of democracy, even though the reality is exactly the opposite - the reform is the fulfillment and essence of democracy. I send my support and encouragement to Justice Minister Yariv Levin. That's what we were elected for, and it's the right thing to do.''
Deputy Minister of Finance MK Michal Waldiger commented: "President Hayut's speech tonight is a blatant attack on the rule of law. The people of Israel have clearly elected a government that has declared above all else the need for changes. The only loss of control here is the president herself. This is a flagrant violation of all the rules. She put herself at the head of the opposition. We are on the way to realizing the will of the people for a more balanced legal system. This will indeed be a historic year, a year in which democracy will be revealed in full force."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich commented: "President Hayut's speech only proves the necessity of the reform to fix the legal system and strengthen Israeli democracy. The arrogance, the demagoguery, the digging in of positions, the intolerance, the shallowness of the arguments and the rejection of every shred of criticism - as we now also heard in the speech, brought the public's trust in the justice system to a low. It's time for a reset."
MK Nissim Vaturi of the Likud commented: "Esther Hayut became the de facto opposition leader today. This speech is nothing less than a legal coup, a serious attack on the Knesset and the government. Tonight it was proved beyond any doubt why the reform of the judicial system is so necessary and requested by the public.''
MK Yitzhak Wasserlauf commented: "Judge Hayut's speech was a political speech, wild and flamboyant. This unimaginable reality only strengthens the duty to reform. The people had their say in the elections in the most democratic way, but the president of the court is against the election and the people's democracy. The people's elected officials are not officials of the judges. In a democracy, the people decide and not unelected officials who appoint one another."